


Legend of Lady Galatea

by NG_Chloe



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Epic, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:15:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 26
Words: 98,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22237696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NG_Chloe/pseuds/NG_Chloe
Summary: It has been two years since the end of the war. Peace has been brought to Fodlan under the Fodlan Coalition of The Kingdom of Faerghus and The Adrestian Empire.In Kingdom territory, Ingrid Brandl Galatea has returned home to build a bright future for her home with the help of Ignatz and Mercedes, but when Felix shows up at her doorstep with an injured Seteth and Flayn. Ingrid and her friends will become quintessential parts of a war that will shake all of Fodlan. This is the Legend of Lady Galatea.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Flayn, Dorothea Arnault/Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra, Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Bernadetta von Varley, Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Ignatz Victor, Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Mercedes von Martritz, Marianne von Edmund/Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, Mercedes von Martritz/Ignatz Victor, Raphael Kirsten/Bernadetta von Varley, Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/Constance von Nuvelle
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	1. The Coronation of Lady Galatea

The war ended two years ago, the Adrestian Empire had declared war on the Church of Seiros and all of Fodlan, conquering the Kingdom of Faerghus, and renaming it The Faerghus Dukedom while the Leicester Alliance maintained neutrality. The rightful King of Faerghus, Dimitri Alexandre Bladdyd, rose up with the help of a former mercenary named Byleth, and they took back Faerghus. Following that, the leader of the Leicester Alliance and Almyran Prince, Claude von Reigen, relinquished the Alliance to Faerghus.  
Dimitri soon met up with the Adrestian Emperor, Edelgard von Hresvelg, to negotiate. It seemed like further bloodshed would continue as both Edelgard and Dimitri were unable to agree, however, Byleth stepped in and was able to get them to reach an agreement, forming the Fodlan Coalition, under the conditions that The Church of Seiros relinquish all of their power and that the Kingdom would assist in defeating the organization, Those Who Slither in the Dark.  
Everything was going well, but the Archbishop, Lady Rhea, opposed the plan, and sought to destroy anyone who opposed her. Lady Rhea was killed, and The Knights of Seiros had been destroyed. The only thing left was destroying Those Who Slither in The Dark, a battle even more fierce than the one with Lady Rhea, but with assistance from Almyra, they were able to defeat the great enemy.  
The dust had settled, and while political tensions were high, the marriage of Byleth and Edelgard was helpful in smoothing things over. Peace had returned to Fodlan, but there was still tension within the country, as Fodlan has been an enemy to many, and those enemies buildup.

………

Their wyvern escaped through a massive gate, getting caught up in a storm that night. Seteth struggled to keep an injured Flayn on his back. He could barely see, but he pressed forward as fast as he could, determination and fear in his eyes. Flayn began to lose her grip, but Seteth grabbed hold of her hand.  
“Just hold on Flayn, we’ll be safe soon!” Seteth yelled at the top of his lungs, trying to overpower nature itself with his voice.  
Two figures walked out of the gate, a man with a very feminine face, long, red hair, and a purple cape over fancy leather armor armed with a rapier, and a man in a black and gold cloak covering his tattoos and gray skin. They were followed by a small army that bore the banner of the Kraken. The man in fine clothing raised his hand, ready to give an order.  
“Wait,” said the cloaked man, raising a hand.  
The finely dressed man, glared at the cloaked one, lower his hand.  
“Wait?! We need them now, if we’re to open the gate from this side,” exclaimed the finely dressed man.  
“We’d have enough blood if you let that wretched Father of your’s give it, your Princeliness,” mocked the cloaked man with a bow.  
“How do you plan to catch them, Agarthan? The two of them, running free is dangerous to Father’s cause,” questioned the Prince, arms crossed.  
The Agarthan showed the Prince the back of his gray hand, like the man was long dead, bearing a tattoo in the shape of a mouth.  
“Our connections will let us know if they’re found outside of Fodlan,” explained the Agarthan, bringing his hand back into his sleeve. “The beast’s are enemies of Fodlan by all accounts, and if they try to reveal our plans, it’ll be a lot easier to prove if there’s an army chasing them. We should catch them with a bit more finesse,”

………

The crowd was gathered outside of Castle Galatea, an old stone building, falling apart from lack of care. Outside the castle, next to a stage facing the crowd, stood The Death Knight, weapon at the ready. Members of the crowd looked either annoyed, tired, or bored. Inside the castle, Mercedes was placing makeup on Ingrid’s face, despite Ingrid’s annoyance.  
“Thank you for the help Mercedes, but do we really need The Death Knight out there?” asked Ingrid awkwardly.  
“Of course, I can’t possibly let anything bad happen to you out there,” Mercedes explained cheerfully.  
Ingrid’s Mother peered her head in, a nervous look on her face.  
“Everyone’s ready for the coronation, Ingrid,” Ingrid’s Mother called.  
“Thank you, Mother,” Ingrid responded with a smile and a nod.  
Ingrid stood up and walked to the door, looking back at Mercedes with a smile.  
“Good luck out there,” said Mercedes with a smile, her hands together in front of her stomach.  
Ingrid walked out into the hall, her siblings and the three servants stood off to the side, bowing before her as she walked by. The hallway was made up of stone, barely keeping together, and while they had banners and rugs, they seemed to be falling apart like the rest of the castle. She reached the main door, where Ignatz and her Father were waiting, her Father carrying the Lance of Luin on his back.  
“I-I hope you do well out there,” said Ignatz, an awkward smile on his face.  
“Tha-thank you,” Ingrid replied awkwardly.  
Ingrid’s Father had his eyes closed, trying to smile for the happy occasion. He opened the great door, revealing the outside. As they walked towards the stage, the others exited and stood off to the side. Ingrid’s Father gave her a glance.  
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Ingrid’s Father asked, a bit of sweat on his face. “you’ve only been back a short time, and you’re not even married yet,”  
“It is my duty to lead House Galatea. It’s time that I did so,” Ingrid replied, smiling with her eyes closed.  
The two got onto the stage, standing before the audience. A moment of awkward silence followed, as the two waited for the people to bow, but the welcome was lukewarm at best. A few people bowed, and a few clapped, but they were drowned out by the silence.  
“May I kill them?” asked The Death Knight.  
“No!” Ingrid and her Father exclaimed, Ingrid looking annoyed and her Father looking shocked.  
“Very well,” The Death Knight replied.  
“Ladies and gentlemen!” announced Ingrid’s Father after clearing his throat. “Thank you for joining us for the coronation of the new ruler of Galatea Territory!”  
He turned to Ingrid, and took Luin off of his back, resting it in both of his hands.  
“Kneel, Ingrid Brandl Galatea, and take your oath!” He ordered.  
Ingrid knelt down on one knee and took position to take Luin. Her Father placed it just over her hands.  
“Ingrid Brandl Galatea! Do you vow to protect this territory and its people!?” he asked.  
“As is my duty!” responded Ingrid.  
“Do you vow to return this territory to glory and beyond!?”  
“As is my duty!”  
“Do you vow to be a just and strong ruler!?”  
“As is my duty!”  
“Do you vow to produce a worthy heir!?  
Ingrid’s eyes widened and she looked up at her Father. He looked at her with narrow, but nervous eyes, some sweat dripping down his cheek. Ingrid gave a look of affirmation, and nodded.  
“As is my duty!” she responded.  
“Then I pass to you the sacred Lance of Luin, and Galatea Territory!” He said, leaving Luin in Ingrid’s hands and stepping back.  
Ingrid stood up, and pointed Luin into the sky.  
“People of the Galatea Territory! I promise to rebuild our land, and bring it into a new age of prosperity! I promise to dedicate everything I have towards this goal so you can have a bright future!” Ingrid called out.  
Some of the people in the crowd began to clap, but there was little fanfare, and they were soon interrupted.  
“Boo!” called out a man of Duscur in the crowd.  
“Excuse me,” responded Ingrid, lowering Luin, and narrowing her eyes.  
Mercedes and Ignatz began hastily moving towards the stage.  
“You failed all of those vows when you abandoned this territory to sleep with the king who betrayed the Archbishop!” the Man of Duscur accused.  
“Can I kill them now?” The Death Knight asked.  
“Do you want to say that again up close?!” threatened Ingrid, getting ready to move forward.  
Ignatz and Mercedes got on stage tried to drag Ingrid away.  
“How about we head inside?” Mercedes asked with a nervous smile on her face.  
“Than-thank you all for coming!” Ignatz called out, looking pretty uncomfortable.  
“Wait, I’m not done with him yet!” Ingrid argued, struggling.  
“Running away again are you! Maybe the King will take you back!” the Man of Duscur mocked.  
The three house servants came to help restrain Ingrid, bringing her back inside. Ingrid’s Father clapped his hands, bowed and then scurried behind the gates, with The Death Knight continuing his guard.

………

Ingrid watched the crowd outside, her eyes glazed over. The scene at the end of the coronation had riled them up a bit, but after some intimidation from The Death Knight, they dispersed. The sun was beginning to set in the distance.  
“What were you thinking!?”  
Ingrid turned to see her Father standing before her, furious. Ingrid had known exactly what she was thinking. She was thinking that Man of Duscur needed to be given an earful, but she couldn’t say that to her Father. She turned to him and lowered her eyes.  
“I don’t know,” Ingrid replied.  
“You don’t know!” Ingrid’s Father exclaimed, his arms thrown up in the air before they landed on Ingrid’s shoulders. “Ingrid, you’re the leader of this family now! You need to take that responsibility seriously!”  
“Excuse me,” Mercedes called from the nearest door, Ignatz peered out from behind her, holding a picnic basket.  
“We were hoping to celebrate with Ingrid tonight, if that’s all right?” Mercedes asked.  
“What a wonderful idea Mercedes,” Ingrid replied heading towards the door with a smile.  
“Wait, we’re not done discussing this yet Ingrid!” her Father called out, reaching out his hand.  
Ingrid grabbed Mercedes’s hand, and the threesome began heading down towards the stables. Ingrid looked happily at her two friends.  
“Thank you for helping me out with my Father,” Ingrid thanked.  
“It was our pleasure, Ingrid, you looked like you could use a break after your big day,” Mercedes replied.  
“Sorry if you get a bigger earful later,” Ignatz apologized with the slight bow of his head.  
“It’s no trouble Ignatz, it wouldn’t be the first time,” Ingrid assured with a sigh.  
They reached the stable, where Mercedes got on her horse, taking the picnic basket from Ignatz. Ingrid got on her Horse, with Ignatz joining her, as he’s not the best rider, placing his arms around her waist. They both blushed for a second, but Ingrid soon felt the thrill of riding her horse and they sped off, away from town, the sun continued to set behind them. Mercedes waved to The Death Knight off in the distance.  
They fled to the forest, passing weak crops, and rotting buildings. The forest was meager, but large enough to hide in. They set up the picnic, and sat down. Mercedes handed Ingrid her tea.  
“Feel free to talk about anything you want, Ingrid,” Mercedes encouraged.  
“Thank you Mercedes,” Ingrid replied, nodding with a smile.  
Ingrid looked down at her tea an annoyed look on her face, she looked up to the sky.  
“I’m just not sure what to do about the people’s opinion of me. I abandoned them, and my Father, so I could fight the war,” lamented Ingrid.  
“Don’t worry, they’ll come around eventually,” Mercedes assured, placing a hand on Ingrid’s shoulder.  
“I...um ...could paint some pictures of your deeds during the war to help them warm up to you,” Ignatz suggested, putting his pointer fingers together awkwardly.  
“N… No thank you, that’d be embarrassing,” Ingrid responded nervously, waving away the suggestion.  
Ingrid looked down at her tea, taking another sip.  
“Besides, what accomplishments. All I did was fight. The Professor, Dimitri, and Claude were the real heroes. People are more likely to be amazed by the defeat of Nemesis and The Immaculate One, the liberation of Faerghus, or the negotiations between Dimitri and Edelgard when the Professor stepped in for the sake of peace,” Ingrid ranted, with a small laugh. “I on the other hand, am just another commander. I’m not one of the Nation’s Two Jewels, the First Knight of Brigid, a renowned crest scholar, the next Adrestian Emperor, a famous opera singer, the overseer of former Alliance territory, or the advisor of a great leader. I’m just-,”  
Ingrid’s eyes widened, and she made a warm smile.  
“A knight, who served her king when she was needed,” Ingrid finished. “Now if only Father would relent,”  
“Are you feeling better?” Mercedes asked with a bright smile.  
“Mostly,” Ingrid replied with a nod.  
They continued to talk the rest of the hours away until it had become dark out. They packed up their things, and began to head towards their horses. Mercedes heard a sound in the distance. She wasn’t quite sure what it was, but she dashed to push Ingrid out of the way.  
“Look out!” Mercedes called, pushing Ingrid out of the way of an arrow.  
“I’ll defeat you!” Ignatz yelled defending himself from a large man with Nosferatu.  
Nosferatu briefly lit up the area, but Ingrid and the others couldn’t quite make out the enemy. A man charged Ingrid and Mercedes with an axe. Ingrid pushed Mercedes out of the way and rolled, dodging the axe attack. Ingrid jumped off the ground, punching the man in the face while his axe was down. The man stumbled back, Ingrid kicked up his axe and grabbed it to use as a shield to block another arrow. The man pulled out a knife and charged Ingrid, but Mercedes hit him with Nosferatu, taking him out. In that Instance, Ingrid was able to see six silhouettes in the forest. The trio got in a circle together to protect each other.  
“I count six warriors, and likely one archer,”Ingrid whispered to Mercedes.  
“They shouldn’t be much trouble, I’m more worried about you though,” Mercedes whispered to Ingrid.  
“As long as they don’t hit me, I’ll be fine,” Ingrid assured.  
“We don’t have weapons or armour. This could be-,” Ignatz worried.  
“Don’t worry, I should be able to handle an axe. I’ve handled a lance and sword,” Ingrid assured, a nervous expression on her face.  
“Get down!” shouted Mercedes, eyes widened.  
The trio lay flat on the ground as The Death Knight and his horse leapt over them, charging the six warriors, cutting them in half, two at a time and in quick succession.  
“Kill, kill kill!” The Death Knight yelled.  
The Death Knight charged off into the woods in the direction of the archer. The trio got up, breathing heavily.  
“We should head back, The Death Knight can handle the rest,” Ignatz said to Ingrid.  
“Ignatz is right, but first things first,” Mercedes added, turning to one of the corpses.  
Ingrid and Mercedes dragged the attacker’s body out into the moonlight. Their eyes all widened, as it was the Man of Duscur from the coronation.

………

Seteth looked back, they were being chased by a small group of six bandits on wyverns. The bandits fired arrows at them, Flayn attempted to deflect the arrows with Nosferatu, but one of them managed to hit their wing, and they came spiraling down to the ground.  
“Flayn!” Seteth yelled, wrapping himself around his daughter upon impact.  
“Father!” Flayn called out, trying to heal Seteth’s injuries after crashing to the ground.  
Flayn felt a sharp pain, an arrow protruding from her back. Despite her efforts, she forward, barely able to move. The six left their wyverns, walking towards Seteth and Flayn, smug looks on their faces.  
“What the Hell do you think you’re doing?” Felix asked, stepping out to defend Seteth and Flayn.  
The bandits stopped, staring at the Aegis Shield on Felix’s arm. Flayn looked up at Felix, a smile on her face, tears welling up in her eyes.  
“Felix,” Flayn said in relief.  
“I think now is a good time to chop people, don’t you?” Felix asked with a smile on his face.  
Felix drew his Sword of Zoltan. The bandits immediately moved to firing arrows at him. With a twirl of the blade, Felix cut down all six arrows. Felix charged them, stabbing one of them in the chest. The other five separated, four of them tried to surround Felix with arrows on all sides, and the fifth had ran towards the wyverns. Felix cut down the arrows and charged towards the bandits to his left, cutting the two of them in half with the sword in his right hand and taking out the other two with Thoron from his left. The last bandit tried to escape, but Felix hit him in the back with a hand axe. That bandit was still breathing, so Felix promptly, grabbed him by the neck.  
“Tell me, why were a group of rabid dogs chasing after an innocent girl and her Father? There’s no reward on their heads, and I doubt they have anything worth stealing, so what were you after?” Felix asked, rage in his eyes.  
“Like we’d tell a dog of Fodlan anything,” the bandit replied with a smirk.  
There was a mark on the bandit’s neck, it began to glow, causing the bandit and his comrades to burn up. Felix jumped back in surprise. The bodies quickly turned to ash and dissipated into the wind. Felix looked down, an angry look on his face.  
“Pathetic fools,” Felix lamented.  
Felix turned around, and moved to heal Seteth and Flayn. Flayn looked at Felix, eyes barely staying open.  
“I am thankful for your assistance, Felix,” Flayn whispered.  
“Be quiet, you should focus on resting and not wasting energy,” replied Felix.  
Felix, healed both of them, picking them both up, and carrying them on his back down the hill. Far away, looking through his right thumb and pointer finger like a monocle, was the Agarthan. The Agarthan smiled, and brought his tattoo to his mouth.  
“Melvill, they’re entering Galatea territory, proceed as you see fit, just bring them to me where I require,” the Agarthan ordered with an evil smile.

………

Ingrid woke up the morning after the attack, startled to find The Death Knight standing in her room. She was even more startled to find Mercedes and Ignatz in her bed with her. Embarrassed, she looked to The Death Knight, who stood in silence, before picking up Ignatz and taking him out of the room.  
Ingrid got changed into her daily clothes, and left the room after making sure Mercedes was comfortable. Outside her room, she found her Father waiting for her, he immediately gave her a hug.  
“Oh, thank the Goddess that you’re all right!” he exclaimed.  
“Thank you Father,” Ingrid replied with wide eyes and a smile.  
Ingrid’s Father suddenly pulled away looking his daughter in the eye.  
“What were you thinking?! You should’ve at least brought Luin with you! You need to take your position seriously, you’re not just some knight anymore!” he scolded.  
Ingrid’s eyes widened, and she looked down and brushed passed her Father.  
“Yes Father, I will do better next time,” Ingrid replied.  
“Damn those dastards from Duscur, haven’t they taken enough from us!” he exclaimed.  
“Father, they-!” Ingrid argued, turning to him before stopping herself.  
“um..right,” he replied, looking down himself.  
Ingrid walked down the hall to her office to find it filled with paperwork. A servant stood off to the side, waiting for her.  
“This is a collection of requests, issues, and other matters from the territory for you to sift through,” he explained with a bow.  
“Thank you Boone,” Ingrid thanked.  
“Though, might I suggest that you have breakfast first,” Boone suggested.  
“I’d love to, but there’s a lot of work right now. I may just have a bigger lunch today,” Ingrid explained, trying her best to ignore the sound of her own stomach.  
“Very well,” Boone stated before leaving Ingrid to her work.  
Ingrid began to work, looking over each stack of paper, separating them into smaller piles so that they wouldn’t fall over, and started looking at the papers individually. After a few hours, Mercedes entered the room with a tray of Vegetable Pasta Salad, with Ignatz entering just behind her.  
“Good morning Ingrid,” Mercedes called out, a massive smile on her face.  
“Good morning Mercedes,” Ingrid replied, looking up from her papers.  
“Sorry to bother you on such short notice,” apologized Ignatz, hunched down nervously.  
“It’s fine, I’m always happy to see both of you,” Ingrid assured with a smile.  
“It’s unlike you to skip a meal Ingrid, you know it’s bad for you,” scolded Mercedes, putting the tray down on Ingrid’s desk  
“I know, but there’s so much work to do, I don’t want to waste time getting started,” Ingrid explained as she started eating the food.  
“Um… how about we help you with these?” Ignatz suggested.  
“That’s a great idea,” Mercedes concurred with excitement, and a clap of her hands.  
“Thank you,” Ingrid said with a sigh followed by a wide smile.  
They started going through the papers together. They eventually sat in a circle on the floor, looking at paper by paper.  
“The village of Bellerose is having issues getting water from the well,” Mercedes explained.  
“They should check if there are any leaks in the bucket, and get back to us,” Ingrid responded.  
“Traders are having issues passing through the territory due to frequent attacks from bandits,” Ignatz explained.  
“That’s definitely trouble,” Ingrid stated. “Mercedes, can the Death Knight look into it?”  
“I’ll let him know right away,” Mercedes answered, standing up to head out.  
“I missed a marriage proposal. Ignatz, can you place this is in the back pile?” Ingrid asked, handing Ignatz a piece of paper.  
“Of course,” Ignatz replied. “You’re not going to read it?”  
“Eventually, there are just more important things right now,” Ingrid explained, looking down.  
“Oh, of course,” Ignatz said, taking out another paper, and then looking at it in shock.  
“What are they asking?” asked Ingrid.  
“No-nothing of importance,” Ignatz stated, nervously trying to put it away.  
“Let me see it,” Ingrid ordered.  
Ignatz handed Ingrid the paper. Ingrid looked it over, and an angry look appeared on her face. She crushed the paper up into a ball and threw it against the wall. She sighed and rested her head against her desk. Ignatz awkwardly sat next to her.  
“Are… are you okay?” he asked.  
“I’ll be fine. Coming back has just been hard. Father expects so much from me, and the people don’t trust me. I sometimes wonder if I should’ve gone with Ashe to Brigid, stood by Dimitri or the professor, or accepted Sylvain’s proposal. I sometimes wonder if I should’ve gone back to hiding in my room like after The Tragedy of Duscur,” Ingrid lamented.  
Ignatz hesitated before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a slip of paper, and unfolded it. Ignatz blushed, his face completely red.  
“This is just a sketch, but I was hoping to make it into a painting at some point,” Ignatz explained.  
It was a rough pencil drawing of Ingrid sitting on a throne with Ignatz and Mercedes at her side. Ingrid smiled, feeling a sense of warmth from the picture. She blushed a little, closing the paper.  
“Thank you Ignatz, it looks great,” Ingrid thanked, handing Ignatz back the paper.  
“It… it’s no big deal, really,” replied Ignatz.  
“But isn’t there anything you want to do?” asked Ingrid.  
“Not really, my parents wanted me to be a knight, but because of the war, there was an increase in profits, so my parents were able to retire early. Now all I really have left is painting, so I can stay here for as long as you need me,” Ignatz explained.  
“Well, it’s great to have a few familiar faces around. Thank you Ignatz,” Ingrid thanked.  
“There’s no need to thank me, really-,” Ignatz denied.  
Mercedes bust open the door, breathing heavily.  
“Ingrid, we need your help,” Mercedes exclaimed.  
“What is it?” Ingrid asked, standing up, along with Ignatz.  
Felix entered, carrying both Seteth and Flayn on his back. He looked tired, breathing heavily, a bit of dirt on his face.  
“Felix! What’s going on?!” Ingrid asked.  
“I need your help, now are you going to stand there or do something,” Felix snapped.  
Ingrid and Mercedes took Seteth from Felix, leaving Flayn to Felix and Ignatz. They carried Seteth and Flayn downstairs to one of the spare rooms that used to belong to servants that had left when the province fell on hard times. They lay Seteth and Flayn in a bed and waited outside their room. Mercedes, Ingrid, and Ignatz leaned against the wall opposed to Felix. Ingrid crossed her arms, stepping forward in front of Felix, a look of concern on her face.  
“Felix, what happened?” Ingrid asked.  
“I don’t know. I found them both being chased by bandits. I dispatched the bandits, and since Galatea Territory was the closest, I came here,” Felix explained.  
“But why would someone be after them. Dimitri made sure there wouldn’t be a bounty on them?” Ingrid questioned.  
“Perhaps Edelgard went behind his back, though more than likely this is probably connected to Those Who Slither In The Dark. The bandits had used some twisted magic to discard their own bodies after I stopped them,” Felix discussed.  
“You think we may have missed a few?” Ingrid asked.  
“More than likely, however, we won’t know what really happened until those two wake up,” Felix explained.  
“Should we tell Dimitri?” Ingrid asked.  
“No, if the Boar gets involved he could end up causing trouble for the Fodlan Coalition, especially considering how impulsive he can be. He might jump to blaming Edelgard for this,” Felix explained.  
“Then I guess we’re on our own for now,” Ingrid stated, her eyes narrow.

To be continued


	2. Orpheus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seteth recalls the events that have lead to this, from when he met an old friend known as Orpheus, to when Seteth and Flayn escaped the Odyssian Empire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know something weird, whenever I try to picture count Galatea, I always picture professor Hanneman, but blonde. Not sure why. He's not even always blonde, sometimes it's just professor Hanneman.

Ingrid’s Father approached the group, standing in the hallway outside of Flayn and Seteth’s room. Ingrid noticed him, and her eyes widened.  
“I’m sorry, Father. I should get back to work,” Ingrid exclaimed, walking down the hallway.  
“Don’t push yourself,” Ingrid’s Father ordered, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Your attendants and I can help out with the work. It’s your duty to entertain the guests,”  
“I definitely agree,” Mercedes added, placing her hand on Ingrid’s other shoulder.  
“R-right!” Ignatz stated, running ahead of them.  
“He’s always in such a rush,” Mercedes commented, walking after Ignatz.  
Ingrid’s Father gave Ingrid a nod, and walked the other way. Ingrid took a deep breath, and sighed with relief.  
“It seems not much has changed with you and your father,” Felix commented.  
“That’s not unexpected, considering how much of my childhood was spent with you and the others,” Ingrid lamented, hands together in front of her.  
“Then get over it,” Felix snapped. “You’re the head of your family now, your failure to communicate with your Father is only holding you back,”  
“I know,” Ingrid replied, looking up at Felix. “I’m sorry for bothering you with my family issues,”  
“I know what you’re thinking, and this has nothing to do with my family,” Felix snapped before storming off.  
Ingrid stood there, stunned. She stepped forward as if to follow Felix, but stopped herself, remembering Seteth and Flayn nearby. She looked at the door to their room, and remembered something Seteth said to her.  
“How you live your life is up to you,” Seteth had said back at the monastery.  
Ingrid entered their room quietly, not to wake them up. She knelt down next to their bed, a look of concern on her face. Seteth’s eyes twitched. Ingrid leaned forward, looking intently at Seteth.  
“Seteth, Flayn, what happened to you?” Ingrid asked, concerned.

………

A young Cichol, roughly in his teens, noticed a figure staring out into the distance, outside Zanado. He walked up to them. They had dark green hair in a long, thin braid, and green eyes.  
“Orpheus?” Cichol called inquisitively. “What are you doing out here?”  
“Taking a nap with my eyes open, obviously,” Orpheus replied with a smirk.  
“Your attempt to amuse me is immature,” Cichol stated with his eyes narrowed.  
“Hehehe, why amuse others when I can amuse myself?” Orpheus asked, placing his hand over his mouth in amusement. “Why are you looking for me exactly?”  
“I just happened by and there you were, nothing special,” Cichol stated.  
“It’s good to know I mean so much to you,” Orpheus said, leaning back.  
“You could always spend more time with the rest of us you know,” Cichol advised, arms crossed.  
“You’re not my Mother,” Orpheus protested, leaning his head back to look at Cichol, frown on his face.  
“That doesn’t change the fact that social interaction is important to your growth as a person,” Cichol lectured.  
“I think I’ll pass if everyone else in Zanado is like you,” Orpheus remarked, looking back into the distance. “I’d like to go see what’s beyond Zanado, beyond Fodlan even,”  
“And you can do that when you’ve grown up, until then, you should be socializing with others,” Cichol lectured, dragging Orpheus off.  
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing!? You can’t just take me wherever you want like Indech!” Orpheus exclaimed.  
“Yes, yes, I’m sure you two will get along then,” Seteth noted.

………

Seteth and Flayn were guided through the night by Dimitri. They were carrying bags for travel. Flayn was behind Seteth, keeping distance between herself and Dimitri. They reached a group of ships where Catherine, Cyril and what’s left of the Knights of Seiros were preparing to leave.  
“Thank you for taking us this far Dimitri, but it’s probably for the best if Catherine and Cyril don’t see you,” Seteth explained, giving Dimitri a look.  
“I see, I’m sorry there’s nothing more I could’ve done for you,” Dimitri lamented.  
“I think you’ve done enough,” Seteth remarked, disappointment in his voice.  
“Where will you be going?” Dimitri asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable.  
“I have a friend living far from here, he should be able to protect us for the time being,” Seteth explained, walking away, Flayn in tow.  
“Flayn, I’m sorry that things turned out this way, I-,” Dimitri called out, his voice distraught.  
“It’s… it’s okay, it wasn’t your fault,” Flayn interrupted, looking down at the ground. “Goodbye Dimitri, it was nice knowing you for these years,”  
Dimitri continued to watch them from a distance, even after they reached the ships. Catherine’s face had the emotion of anger scarred into it, and Cyril’s face was ingrained with tear stains. Seteth helped Flayn into the boat, and followed himself.  
“Thank you for helping us,” Seteth said with a nod and a sad look in his eyes.  
“It’s what Lady Rhea would’ve wanted,” Cyril replied, his eyes beginning to tear up again.  
“Does that matter anymore?” Catherine asked, staring off into the distance. “The Professor, and the Kingdom betrayed us for the Empire, and now we’re running with our tails between our legs,”  
“I understand Catherine, but-,” Seteth explained.  
“Do you really understand?” Catherine asked, glaring at Seteth. “You still have Flayn, but to us, to me, Lady Rhea was everything,”  
“I’m so, so sorry,” Seteth apologized.  
Catherine got down to help push the boats into the water, jumping back in afterwards. Out they sailed, into the dark abyss. Seteth and Flayn looked back at the land that was once their home for the longest time, and in the distance, they saw Dimitri, still standing there.

………

They had reached the continent of Odyssia, also known as the Odyssian Empire, a sun scorched land reflecting the color orange. They could only see the beach and the docks, as a wall encompased the entire mainland, bearing the symbol of the Kraken on their purple flags. The gates opened, and a small army dressed in cloth and armor came out, led by an older Orpheus, his braid now reaching his feet, a scar carved into his face, and a light beard on his chin. Next to Orpheus stood the prince. They waited for the boats to reach the docks, before Orpheus ran up to Seteth and gave him a hug.  
“Cichol! It’s great to see you again!” Orpheus shouted.  
“Orpheus, if you got my letter, then you should know-,” Seteth explained.  
“Ah, who are we kidding, everyone else has probably figured it out by now, Right?!” Orpheus explained, pulling away and turning to the rest of the ship.  
“Cichol?” Catherine questioned, her eyes widened.  
“Like St. Cichol?” Cyril asked, stunned.  
“Of course, Rhea, and Seteth are both Seiros, and Cichol. Wasn’t it obvious?” Orpheus asked.  
Both Cyril, Catherine, and the rest of the crew had to sit down, their faces filled with shock. Seteth and Flayn stood in shock and awe at what Orpheus had just done. Orpheus raised an eyebrow and shrugged.  
“Anyway, I’ll give everyone a minute to take this all in. In the meantime, Cichol and I need to catch up,” Orpheus stated, grabbing Seteth by the hand and pulling him along.  
“Orpheus, wait a second-!” Seteth shouted, being pulled out of the ship.  
“Brother!” Flayn called out, following after them.  
Orpheus brought them to his small army, where there were horses prepared for them. The Prince bowed to them.  
“Greetings travelers, my name is Narcyz Manases Orpheus the 30th, son of Lord Orpheus,” The Prince stated.  
“It’s a pleasure, I am Seteth and this is my little sister Flayn,” Seteth responded, bowing back with Flayn.  
“Cichol, you don’t need to keep up that act anymore. You’re safe here,” Orpheus explained, ignoring his son’s narrowed eyes.  
“Greetings Lord Orpheus, we haven’t exactly met. I’m Cethlean. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Flayn stated, giving Orpheus a bow.  
“Awe yes, Cichol’s daughter he spoke so much about in his letters,” Orpheus responded, turning to Seteth. “I know you must’ve had a long year of travel, so I’ll show all of you to the castle, where can rest for the time being,”  
“For the time being?” Seteth questioned, a look of concern and puzzlement on his face.  
“Yes, I would like to speak with you and your vassals shortly after you get settled in,” Orpheus explained.  
They got onto their horse and entered through the gates. Inside the walls was a bustling city of people. The guards closed the gates, and resumed their watch. Looking around, soldiers were making busy working on weapons, training, and the like.  
“Your soldiers seem rather busy?” Seteth questioned.  
“Just a precaution in case of invasion. Ever since I heard about what happened in Zanado, I’ve made sure to always be prepared for the worst,” Orpheus explained.  
“Well, I’m glad you weren’t there,” Seteth affirmed with a smile.  
“I only wish I could’ve been there for you and Seiros. I conquered Odyssia to gain the forces necessary to fight Nemesis, but by that point, Seiros had already finished him off,” Orpheus lamented.  
“Let’s leave that in the past. What’s important is that we’re safe, and that we have each other,” Seteth said, offering support to his old friend.  
Orpheus didn’t say anything, he simply stared into the distance, a cold look in his eyes. They soon left town and traveled through the scorched desert made of stone. They traveled for a good week, encountering smaller towns surrounding oases. In the distance there was a building that resembled an iron box.  
“What’s that Lord Orpheus?” Flayn asked curiously.  
“A prison. Conquering this land created a great many enemies. I could’ve had them all executed, but I figured it would be safer to better them all up... with small exceptions of course,” Orpheus explained.  
After a long journey, they eventually reached a castle encompassed by a large wall. Behind the wall, the castle was surrounded by a forest, the first full forest they had seen on their way here. Before they had only seen small groups of trees spread out, but this was a luscious, green forest. The inside of the castle itself was beautiful, architectural designs like Seteth hadn’t seen before. It’s artistry rivaled even that of Garreg Mach.

………

Seteth woke up to the sound of someone knocking at his door. He opened it to see Orpheus waiting for him, a cheerful smile on his face.  
“Good morning, Cichol,” Orpheus greeted.  
“Shouldn’t you be busy with the tasks of ruling the Odyssian Empire?” Seteth asked, yawning.  
“This is official business Cichol, as we discussed back at the port,” Orpheus stated. “And I just wanted to visit you myself,”  
“I should check on Flayn,” Seteth stated.  
“No need, I already sent attendants to get her, and keep her nice and safe. I’ve also sent for your vassals, and they will be meeting us in the throne room,” Orpheus explained.  
They walked to the throne room. Along the way Seteth couldn’t help but notice that Orpheus was wearing armor not too dissimilar to that of a mortal savant. In the throne room, Cyril was standing at the ready, while Catherine was leaning against the wall. Seteth stood before the throne, while Orpheus stepped in front of his throne, looking over all of them.  
“I’m glad to see you all here, it’s time to discuss the real matter at hand,” Orpheus announced.  
“And what is that exactly?” Seteth asked, his arms crossed.  
“The destruction of Fodlan of course,” Orpheus announced, his hands behind his back. “The people of Fodlan have betrayed us, killing Seiros, or Rhea as some of you may know her as. Thus, we will invade Fodlan, and burn it to the ground,”  
The entire room was silent, Seteth’s eyes widened as he processed what his old friend had just said. Catherine’s eyes widened, and a smile began to crack into her hardened face. Cyril’s eyes widened, and tears began to well up in his face. Orpheus simply stood, waiting for them to respond, a confident smile on his face.  
“Now we’re talking,” Catherine stated.  
“We can avenge Lady Rhea?” Cyril asked, tears falling from his face.  
“That’s a fool’s errand. Traveling from Fodlan to here took an entire year,” Seteth reasoned, sweat falling down his face.  
“It would’ve been improbable, but in one year we will be invading Fodlan from all sides. We have connections in Dagda, Sreng, Morfis, Albinea, Brigid, Almyra, Duscur, and few in Fodlan itself. Combined with our forces, we will overrun The Adrestian Empire and Faerghus,” Orpheus explained, his eyes narrowed at Seteth.  
“But Byleth was able to end the five year war in only a year! By the time your forces reached Fodlan, it would be too late!” Seteth exclaimed.  
“You would be correct Cichol. Our allies would be depleted, and considering The Fell Star’s reputation, they would keep Fodlan’s losses to a minimum. However, another ally appeared before us half a year ago. Isadore!” Orpheus called out.  
The Agarthan walked into the room. Seteth looked to him, shock in his eyes. Catherine and Cyril glared at the Agarthan, who simply responded with a smile.  
“Everything is going to plan Beast, the gates are being built to the proper specifications,” Isadore recited, smiling like he had been waiting for this moment.  
“Gates?!” Seteth exclaimed.  
“Isadore and what’s left of the Agarthans are building gates all over Fodlan’s borders, so we can properly support our allies. It would help if we could build them inside, but it’s hard being Fodlan’s most wanted, and our enemies might get suspicious if anyone noticed, we need to be careful to succeed after all. Isadore was only able to get here via an incomplete gate,” Orpheus explained. “I know working with the Agarthans sounds insane, but the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and the Agarthans are victims of Fodlan as well,”  
“Orpheus, have you gone mad!?” Seteth asked, his face dripping with sweat.  
“Mad? I’m not mad, I’m furious,” Orpheus stated, stepping down in front of Seteth Seteth, his eyes burning with rage. “Furious that my friends were all wiped out while I was gone, furious that the people of Fodlan destroyed what was left of my family while I was unaware, and furious that my closest friend didn’t call for help when I would’ve gladly left my entire empire defenseless for him,”  
“They had Seiros, I didn’t want to place her in more danger by having a massive army join up with us! If we pushed them too far, the empire could’ve killed her! Furthermore, I didn’t want to put you in danger, because I knew you would do that if I called for you!” Seteth explained desperately.  
“You’re right, even so I wish you would’ve called on me anyways. I own a continent, though the environment keeps us from growing too much, I have a great many soldiers to fight for you, and now I can put them to use,” Orpheus stated, turning his back to Seteth.  
“There are innocent children in Fodlan!” Seteth pleaded, kneeling down before Orpheus.  
“Children are just another casualty of war,” Catherine stated, her face showing no emotion.  
“There are children everywhere. Lady Rhea helped many of them like myself, but she’s gone now,” Cyril lamented, looking down.  
“A beast like yourself should know not to plead to another beast’s humanity,” Isadore mocked with a laugh.  
“You see Cichol, you were lucky to have a child that inherited your immortality, while none of my children were ever so lucky. So let me tell you, that when you’ve had 40 generations of children, you eventually realize that if you lose one, you can get another,” Orpheus explained, turning to Seteth, looming over him like a wave about to crash down.  
“Where’s Flayn?!” Seteth asked, his eyes widened to the point that they might jump out of his eye sockets.  
“You see the gates need cores to actually work, and creating them requires that we harness dear Cethlean’s blood. Don’t worry, we won’t kill her-,” Orpheus explained, looking left and right like he had been caught doing a prank.  
Seteth dashed to the door, fear radiating from his face. He wasn’t able to reach the door before Orpheus hit him with Nosferatu. Seteth was knocked to the ground, his vision started to blur. He looked up to see the silhouettes of Orpheus, Catherine, Cyril, and Isadore looming over him.  
“Oh, Cichol. To not truly know the feeling of having lost everything while you were helpless. I almost envy that fantasy, almost,” Orpheus mocked.  
Seteth tried to reach out, he tried to say something, but his body felt numb. He couldn’t move anymore, lowering his arm. The silhouettes consumed his vision, and he lost consciousness.

………

Seteth woke up back in the room Orpheus set aside for him. He couldn’t help but notice the details of the room. The Door was a push from the inside, with a lock on the outside. The door was designed to drag along the ground to make noise.  
There was only one window and it had metal bars. The bed was magnificent, it was comfortable, made with the finest wool and wood on the continent. The walls were covered with the finest tapestries around. There was even a bookshelf and a desk.  
The door opened, screeching across the floor like scratching a chalkboard. Orpheus entered, wearing an extravagant purple robe with golden highlights like tentacles. Seteth jumped to action, arming himself with the nearest chair. Orpheus burst out laughing.  
“What are you doing Cichol!” Orpheus laughed.  
“Let us go!” Seteth ordered.  
“Let you go?” Orpheus asked, shaking his head, and spreading his arms. “What cause is there for you to leave?”  
“You know very well, what cause I have!” Seteth shrieked.  
“Listen Cichol, I’m doing no harm to you or your daughter. We just need to take a bit of her blood at a time, and she’ll be fine, maybe a little lightheaded, but that’s it,” Orpheus explained.  
“You could’ve used your own!” Seteth accused.  
“True, but removing blood has its health risks, though small, and I need to fight a war,” Orpheus excused.  
“Another war will only bring more suffering to others!” Seteth argued.  
“True, but tell me this Cichol?” Orpheus asked, crossing his arms, and nodding. “If I were to remove your eye, forcing you to submit, and afterward I tried to pretend like we ended on equal terms. Would you be satisfied? Is it really equal? No, I took your eye, and you should take mine as compensation. You were scarred forever, but I simply carried on like it you still had two eyes on your head,”  
“The Almyran King, and the Fodlan Coalition should be working to improve foreign relations,” Seteth pointed out.  
“You’re correct in that, yes, Claude von Reigan is working to improve foreign relations. That isn’t compensation however, it’s simply attempting to sweep tragedy under the rug, an even greater insult, the equivalent of stealing from someone on a regular basis, then after a while, deciding to trade with them normally, but refusing to pay for what you already stole. See the difference?” Orpheus explained.  
“There’s one thing you’re forgetting. Sreng, Almyra, Dagda, Brigid, and the others are the ones that initiated conflict,” Seteth debated.  
“Because the people of Fodlan kept all of the good land to themselves, and refused to have good relations with foreign countries,” Orpheus pointed out.  
“You just want any excuse to start a war, don’t you?” Seteth asked, glaring at Orpheus.  
“Perhaps, but it won’t look that way to the people whom, like me, want Fodlan ravaged. I will give every ounce of my strength, my army, my country, all of it, if it means I can destroy our enemies for good,” Orpheus preached.  
Seteth put the chair down, and sat in it, a defeated look on his face. Orpheus crouched, looking Seteth in the eyes.  
“Listen my friend, I want you to work with me. Be my advisor like you were to Seiros, take care of the things I usually have my son do and help me in matters he couldn’t. If you won’t join me, once the war ends, you and your daughter can leave, and go wherever you want. I want you, my old friend, to join me, but I am prepared for the worst,” Orpheus begged.  
“Let me see Cethlean,” Seteth demanded.  
“In time, I can’t let you on board right away, but as the year goes on, you’ll gain more privileges, and then you and I can get the revenge we deserve,” Orpheus explained.

………

Cichol stood at the entrance to where Cethlean was being kept. Isadore opened the door of steel, giving Cichol an annoyed look. Isadore opened the door for Seteth to come in. Seteth glared at Isadore.  
“I would like to speak with my daughter alone?” Cichol asked.  
“Who knows what you beasts would do if I left you alone to plot?” Isadore questioned, gritting his teeth.  
“Let him have time his daughter,” Narcyz ordered, walking up to them.  
“Hmph,” Isadore grunted, glaring at Narcyz before letting Cichol do as he pleased.  
“Thank you, Narcyz,” Cichol said, giving Narcyz a smile.  
Cichol walked down the stairs into a deep, dark dungeon. Isadore closed the door behind him. Cichol came across Cethlean, her body covered in bandages, and her hair going pale. Her face looked tired. Cichol embraced Cethlean, tears rolling down their faces.  
“Are you okay!?” Cichol asked.  
“I want to leave, Father!” Cethlean pleaded.  
“And we will, but I need a little more time,” Cichol assured.  
“Dimitri,” Cethlean stated.  
“What?” Cichol asked.  
“We need to find Dimitri. He’ll be able to help us,” Cethlean pleaded.  
“If we return to Fodlan, we’ll be in the middle of a war zone,” Cichol argued.  
“I want to see him,” Cethlean stated. “Even after what he did, he still cared for us, for me, and would’ve torn the Coalition apart if Edelgard or the empire tried anything,”  
“Very well,” Cichol answered, his eyes widened. “When the time comes, we’ll escape through one of the gates. The closest will send us to Almyra. Fhirdiad is far from there, but I have a good friend along the way who’d be willing to help us through,”

………

Seteth awoke to find Ingrid, knelt next to him, a kind smile on her face. The room wasn’t very clean. The walls were uncared for, and Seteth could see dust in the corners. The room was rather small, feeling more like a larger closet than a bedroom. Seteth smiled.  
“Thank you Ingrid,” Seteth stated.  
“It’s my pleasure,” Ingrid returned.  
“I assume you have many questions?” Seteth asked.  
“Those can wait for a little longer,” Ingrid replied. “You need to rest,”  
In the distance, Isadore watched them through the walls. Standing next to him was Narcyz, and a merchant in extravagant clothes that had been tattered. Isadore looked to them.  
“Melvill, you wanted revenge correct. Help us get what we want, and you’ll get yours,” Isadore stated.  
“My pleasure,” Melvill stated with a smirk.  
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Narcyz remarked.  
“I know better than you. `let him have time with his daughter’ you said, now look at how much trouble we’re in,” Isadore criticised, turning to the castle. “I have a plan,”

To be Continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not sure about this one. I like it, but it kind of feels like I'm trying to rationalize the plot in some parts.


	3. Battle in Galatea Territory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a threat from the merchant Melvill, Ingrid, her Father, Boone, the Death Knight, Mercedes, Seteth, and the knights of Galatea territory face a fierce battle with Isadore, Narcyz, and Melvill's forces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little longer, and it does get a little violent

Ingrid sat at Seteth and Flayn’s bedside, a smile on her face with a tinge of sadness in her eyes. Flayn was holding onto Seteth like a teddy bear. Seteth looked down, a sadness in his eyes.  
“Ingrid, I’m afraid it can’t wait. There’s something you need to know,” Seteth stated, looking Ingrid in the eyes.  
“You shouldn’t push yourself,” Ingrid ordered, a stern look on her face.  
“You are right, but we don’t have the time to waste,” Seteth insisted.  
“Seteth, what could be so-?” Ingrid asked, leaning forward.  
There was a knock on the door, and Boone peered through, a look of annoyance on his face. Ingrid stood up, and looked to him, an eyebrow raised. Seteth had resigned himself for the moment.  
“Milady, that merchant, Melvill, is here to see you,” Boone explained, rolling his eyes at Melvill’s name.  
“I have no business with that man, turn him away,” Ingrid ordered, annoyance in her voice.  
“Your Father tried, but he refuses to leave until he speaks with you,” Boone explained.  
“Very well, I will deal with him myself,” Ingrid stated, heading towards the door.  
“Ingrid,” Seteth called out in concern. “Be careful,”  
“Thank you Seteth,” Ingrid replied, turning to Seteth with a confident smile before leaving the room.

………

Melvill was waiting in the main hall with two bandits behind him. On the left side of the hall, Felix and Ignatz stood, Felix keeping his hand close to his sword, and Ignatz watching Melvill closely, eyes narrow. On the right side of the room, Jeritza and Mercedes stood, Jeritza keeping his scythe at the ready, and Mercedes scowling at Melvill.  
Ingrid’s Father stood in front, hands behind his back, scowling at Melvill. Ingrid entered through a door off to the side. Melvill smiled, a tooth biting his lip, his eyes closed.  
“See, isn’t it easier to just do what I say?” he remarked.  
“What do you want Melvill?” Ingrid asked, glaring at him as she took her place in front of her Father.  
“With a personality like yours, your insolence may have helped me dodge an arrow in the long run,” Melvill commented.  
“If your only purpose in coming here was to annoy me, then I suggest you leave,” Ingrid stated, crossing her arms.  
“Now, now, I’m just here for your help,” Melvill stated nervously, raising a hand.  
“I believe your rejection should’ve made it clear that we’re not interested in being connected to your crimes,” Ingrid rejected, taking a step forward.  
“Far from it, this isn’t anything illegal. I’m simply tracking a few runaways,” Melvill explained, shaking his head. “I’m sure you’re aware of Seteth and Flayn of the Church of Seiros, correct?”  
“And I’m sure you’re aware of the pointlessness in going after them,” Ingrid replied, her eyes shaking a little in tandem with everyone else.  
“Hm, so true, but there are other parties out there who may be interested in paying for their heads. Just recently, I was able to employ a great many who are interested in seeing their heads on pikes. We believe they’re somewhere in this area, and would love your approval to search if you’re not going to help directly,” Melvill explained with a smirk.  
“I think we’ve made our position clear,” Ingrid stated, scowling at him.  
“Perhaps you have more reason to deny me?” Melvill questioned, placing his hand on his chin. “Perhaps you’re hiding them here and just keeping me from my prize?”  
“And if we were?” Ingrid asked, taking another step forward.  
“Why do you continue to get in my way? I was just trying to run a business, but you and that whore decided to get in my way,” Melvill sighed, tilting his head down in disappointment.  
“Her name is Dorothea,” Ingrid clarified, placing fists at her sides.  
“Yes, Dorothea Arnault. Like you, I pursued her myself once, and she broke my men’s arms. You and especially her, insist on getting in my way whenever I want something,” Melvill lamented, turning around. “Since it seems this is a waste of time, I should head out. I have more important things to do than negotiate with my enemies after all,”  
He waved with his back to them before exiting the building. Ingrid turned to Felix, and Felix nodded in agreement. Ingrid pointed in the direction of the stables, and Felix moved to head there. He turned to Ingrid.  
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Felix ordered, frowning.  
“We’ll be careful,” Ingrid agreed with a nod.  
“I mean it,” Felix emphasized before leaving.  
“Tell the soldiers in the area to be prepared for a possible attack,” Ingrid ordered her Father.  
“What will you do?” he asked, eyes narrowed.  
“I have to make my own preparations,” Ingrid stated.  
“Very well, Lady Galatea,” he responded, adding a smile and a bow.  
“Should I petition for assistance from House Bladdyd?” he asked.  
“This shouldn’t be a concern to the King,” Ingrid responded, arms crossed.  
“Then I will send messengers for Sylvain,” he decided with a smile.  
“That should be fine,” Ingrid agreed with a smile, before her Father ran off.  
“I’ll be heading off to prepare,” Jeritza stated before walking off.  
“Raphael isn’t too far away. I could see if he and Lady Varley would be willing to offer assistance,” Ignatz suggested, running up to Ingrid.  
“Hm, is it wise to send out so many of our own right now?” Mercedes asked, walking over to them.  
“We don’t know how strong the enemy is, but if he has enough connections to threaten Dorothea, we can’t be too careful,” Ignatz explained, shaking his head.  
“We can hold out on what we have, but I’d rather be prepared. That man is willing to do anything to get what he wants, and he has the connections to do it, even after he was stripped of his rank,” Ingrid explained, gesturing towards Mercedes.  
“Okay, but I’d think he might be bluffing to weaken our defense for a bit,” Mercedes suggested, her hands in front of her.  
“That doesn’t make sense, just because Felix and I will be out of the way, doesn’t make the castle defenseless. He’d still have to make it inside,” Ignatz commented, raising his hand to his chin, and supporting his arm with his other.  
“And even if he had someone inside, Jeritza, you and I are enough to deal with them,” Ingrid suggested.  
“But shouldn’t you be fighting with the troops?” Mercedes questioned, tilting her head with both of her hands raised.  
“They’ll probably go straight for the castle if Flayn and Seteth are their objective,” Ignatz stated.  
“That’s right,” Ingrid agreed. “We’ll be close enough if anything happens,”  
“Well, okay. If you think that’s the best way of doing things,” Mercedes surrendered, frowning.  
“Thank you, Mercedes,” Ingrid responded, giving a bow. “Ignatz, you should head out now,”  
“I won’t let you down,” Ignatz assured with a bow before heading off.  
“Can you look after Seteth and Flayn?” Ingrid asked Mercedes with a smile.  
“Of course I can Ingrid, anything for you,” Mercedes responded with a smile.  
“Thank you, it’s been great having you and Ignatz here for me, it really has,” Ingrid thanked, blushing a bit.  
“Remember to get ready yourself Ingrid,” Mercedes reminded, grabbing Ingrid’s hands.  
“R-right,” Ingrid exclaimed, heading off to prepare for battle.

………

Mercedes stationed herself outside of Seteth and Flayn’s room. She knocked on their door before entering, Seteth and Flayn were both awake, Seteth carrying the Spear of Assal, and Flayn still a little hazy. Mercedes gave them a smile.  
“I’m sorry to bother you, but I’ll be looking out for you for a bit, so don’t you worry about a thing,” Mercedes assured before she began to close the door.  
“Wait!” Seteth called, reaching out for her. “There’s something you need to know,”  
“What is it?” Mercedes asked, stopping the door, and peering in.  
“Come, sit?” Seteth requested, beckoning for Mercedes to enter. “There’s more to this conflict than you realize,”  
“It’d probably be better if I stand,” Mercedes explained, coming into the room. “I need to be ready if anything happens,”  
“Very well,” Seteth conceded, crossing his arms.  
“I’m very sorry for placing you all in this position,” Flayn confessed, looking down.  
“Don’t worry, it’s no trouble at all,” Mercedes assured with a smile.  
“It’s more trouble than you think it is,” Seteth insisted, patting Flayn on the head. “What I’m about to tell you concerns the fate of Fodlan,”  
“So it’s more than just trouble with bandits?” Mercedes asked, tensing up a little.  
“Indeed,” Seteth replied, turning to Mercedes. “After Flayn, the Knights of Seiros, and I left Fodlan, we escaped to the continent of Odyssia, home of the Odyssian Empire. Rhea and I had an old ally there, and I thought it would be a safe place to hideout. I was wrong, the Lord of the Odyssian Empire, Orpheus, had made connections with the remnants of Those Who Slither In The Dark, and other enemies of Fodlan. With this power, Orpheus plans to invade and slaughter anyone in Fodlan, whether they be men, women, or children. No one will be safe if we don’t get a message to Dimitri as soon as possible,”  
The room went completely silent. Mercedes was stunned, a drop of sweat fell from her face. They could hear swords clashing outside. Mercedes sat down, unable to stand. Flayn looked at the door, her eyes widened, bathed in fear. Isadore was standing there, a smile on his face.  
“Well, that went well,” he commented.  
A chain shot from the palm of his left hand, and grabbed Flayn. Mercedes shot Thunder at him, forcing Isadore to dodge. Seteth lunged at him, but Isadore used Flayn as a shield, forcing Seteth to stop in his tracks. Isadore joined his middle finger and thumb together, bringing them to his mouth, he shot Seteth back with a gust of wind.  
Mercedes shot Isadore right in the Flayn arm, causing him to drop her. Seteth crashed right into him, knocking him out the door. Isadore brought his pointer finger and thumb together, blowing Seteth away with a blast of fire. Flayn immediately rushed to heal Seteth.  
“Flayn...run,” Seteth begged.  
“I can’t leave you brother!” Flayn refused, tears rolling down her face.  
“Everything’s going to be okay,” Mercedes assured, anger seeping through her face as she stepped out in Isadore’s way. “I’ll be looking out for you, so don’t you worry about a thing,”

………

Ingrid looked out at the horizon from the floor where her Father lecured her the previous day. The Death Knight was outside of the castle, lying in wait for any invaders. There were 10 squads of soldiers placed around town, along with 12 archers spread across rooftops, five mages, her father included, hiding out to attack if anything came close, and six cavalryman. In the distance, a hoard rushed towards them. It was made up of bandits and a few trained warriors. There were 18 squads of low level bandits, led by a warrior each, they had 12 wyvern riders, 10 cavalryman, and in the far back were eight armored knights. The enemy had the numerical advantage, as well as a decent strategy, but being on the defensive gave the Galatea forces an advantage. Ingrid looked down to the ground to see her Father looking up at her from a nearby alleyway, his face telling her to stay put. He was dressed as a mage and had a Killer Sword with him. Ingrid gripped Luin, it glowed in preparation for combat. She put a steel shield around her arm. Ingrid sighed, and looked out to her small army.  
“Everyone!” Ingrid called out. “These bandits think they can invade our home and take whatever they want! The only thing they’ll be taking is their death beds. They may have the numbers, but we have something far greater than anything they’ll ever have! We have our duty to fight for our home, we have the power to rise from the ashes, and we have the spirit of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus!" The soldiers raised their weapons, shouting with pride, Ingrid’s Father even flashed a smile for his daughter. The enemy took advantage of this moment to launch their first attack, sending their wyvern riders ahead, bows at the ready. The archers immediately prepared for the incoming attack. The wyvern riders kept themselves at a distance, firing at the Galatea Archers and Mages. The archers and mages countered, taking out seven of the Wyverns, but took major losses themselves, losing three mages, and five archers. When the wyverns hit the ground, assassins jumped off of them, and immediately went for the other archers and mages.  
Ingrid noticed more assassins jumping from the other wyverns and landing onto Castle Galatea. Ingrid rushed to face the five of them. Three stayed back and fired arrows at Ingrid, while two charged her.  
She blocked the arrows with her shield, and engaged the assassins. They were both wielding armorslayers and went for her shield. She was attacked by a cut from the left, followed by the right. She dodged both of them, and blocked three more arrows. She jabbed at the assassin at her right, but they dodged, and Ingrid found herself dodging an attack from her left.  
The assassin on her right cut at her shield, damaging it, but Ingrid used this to get close and attack the assassin, wounding him. She was forced to roll away from three more arrows, and use her shield to push away the assassin on her left. The wounded assassin switched out with one of the three assassins firing arrows.  
The assassin to her left kept it’s distance, so Ingrid rushed the archers, dodging two arrows and letting her shield get cut again by the replacement assassin so she could strike down the assassin in the middle of the three, impaling him, before activating Burning quake to rip through his side, and take out the assassin on the left, leaving only the injured assassin and the other two.  
The two uninjured assassins charged her, while the injured assassin charged her. Time slowed down, as Ingrid dodged the arrow with a slight move of her head. She dodged the two cuts from the other assassins, then countered the one on her left, killing them with a twirl of Luin before taking out the other with a stab. She raised what was left of her shield to block the next arrow.  
The arrow had pierced the shield, and there wasn't much left of it. The injured assassin began shaking in his boots, he ran away, jumping out the window. Ingrid, with a face of shock and worry, ran over to the window to see what happened to him. She didn’t see a body, so he must’ve just escaped.  
While that had been happening, the enemy cavalry, followed shortly by the bandit squads clashed with Galatea forces, the armored knights still on their way. Ingrid’s Father used Thoron to protect one of the archers from an assassin. Two other assassins charged him from both sides in the alleyway. He used Fimbulvetr to create a wall to slow down the other assassin, and then used Seraphim to take out the other one charging him.  
The other assassin had climbed up the building and jumped down to attack him, but he rolled out of the way and cut him down with his Killer Edge. Another assassin came at him from behind, but they were impaled by a spear. Boone appeared on a horse in full cavalier armor.  
“Do be careful sire, this isn’t the academy training grounds?” Boone asked, getting down to retrieve his spear.  
“Thank you Boone, where would I be without you?” Ingrid’s Father asked, a smile on his face.  
“Probably dead,” Boone remarked with a smirk.  
The last three assassins jumped at them, from the left, right, and top. The two friends charged, passing each other by, and dodging the attack from above. Ingrid’s Father attacked with his Killer Sword, while Boone used his fists.  
“Prepare yourself!” Ingrid’s Father called out, cutting down the assassin with ease.  
“Leave my sight!” Boone cried out, killing the assassin with a single punch to the skull.  
The third assassin charged Ingrid’s Father, who retaliated by using Blizzard. The assassin jumped over the attack to dodge, but he was impaled by Boone’s spear. Ingrid’s Father gave Boone a bright smile, which Boone reciprocated before peering out to check on the battle.  
“It seems we’re out of archers, but they’re out of wyverns. The main battle has practically become a free-for-all, our troops have an advantage in terms of skill, so they should be able to hold out,” Boone explained, frowning.  
“What about those armored knights?” Ingrid’s Father asked, eyes narrowed.  
“They’ve been unaffected, and from what I can see, they’ll be joining the battle soon,” Boone answered, turning to Ingrid’s Father.  
“We should deal with them right away,” Ingrid’s Father stated.  
“That’s risky, and you’re not as fast as you used to be,” Boone commented, eyes narrowed.  
“It’s better my life than the territory’s. Now come on, what am I paying you for?” Ingrid’s Father asked, getting on Boone’s horse.  
“You don’t pay me at all, I’m trying to keep you from getting yourself killed,” Boone commented, getting on the front of the horse.  
The two rode off the deal with the armored knights. While that was happening, the Death Knight was staring down a large group of bandits, each standing nervously. One of the wyvern riders had fired an arrow at him, but he dodged and countered with Thunder. The Death Knight turned to the bandits.  
“Face me, if you dare,” he beckoned.  
“I’ll deal with this one,” a voice announced from the crowd.  
The bandits went around the Death Knight and engaged the Galatea soldiers. The person who approached the Death Knight was a masked Narcyz, rapier at the ready. The Death Knight studied him curiously.  
“Are you the one?” Death Knight asked.  
“Indeed, your the legendary Death Knight, correct?” Narcyz asked.  
“Then provide me with a challenge,” Death Knight called out, cutting down at Narcyz with his scythe.  
Narcyz dodged the attack, and jabbed at the Death Knight. The Death Knight’s horse jumped back, and he countered with Thunder. Narcyz dodged that, and the flurry of scythe attacks that followed. With each attack, the ground shook, but none even fazed Narcyz.  
Narcyz had gotten within close range of the Death Knight, and lunged towards his horse. The Death Knight dropped his scythe and pulled out his silver sword, cutting down on Narcyz. Narcyz could see the intricate details of the sword as he dodged it, then stabbed the horse right through the chest, before jumping back to avoid more attacks from the Death Knight.  
The Death Knight got down from his horse while it was still struggling to stand. He proceeded to put the horse out of its misery. He turned to Narcyz.  
“Your skills are impressive, this will be most entertaining,” Death Knight commented.  
Before their battle could proceed, a Meteor crashed through the roof of Castle Galatea. Ingrid could feel the impact, and rushed to see what was happening. Narcyz sighed, and raised his hand.  
“Swarm him!” Narcyz commanded.  
Bandits swarmed the Death Knight, who easily cut many of them down, but was held up by the sheer number of them. Narcyz slipped off, running towards the castle. Ingrid’s Father saw the destruction, a worried look on his face. Boone placed a hand on his shoulder.  
“Don’t worry, she’ll take care of. We have our own job to do,” Boone assured.  
“R-right,” Ingrid’s Father responded with a nod, and a look of affirmation.

………

“You think you’re smart don’t you?” Isadore asked Mercedes in a mocking tone. “You’ve placed yourself so that there’s no option other then a direct confrontation, but that is the last thing a mage would want, and you can’t dodge in your situation. Even if Cichol heals, he can’t even get close to me,”  
“Cichol?” Mercedes exclaimed, her eyes widened.  
“Oops!” Isadore shouted, charging towards Mercedes.  
Isadore unleashed a blast of fire onto her, nearly enveloping Mercedes in flame. She recollected herself and countered with Nosferatu, engulfing the hallway. She jumped back, creating some distance between herself and Isadore, before unleashing Nosferatu. Isadore jumped back to avoid the attack. Mercedes charged forward, using Nosferatu repeatedly to push Isadore back as far away from Seteth and Flayn. Isadore laughed, a massive smile on his face.  
“You only know mid range spells don’t you?” Isadore asked. “You should’ve tried keeping your distance more,”  
Mercedes’s eyes widened, sweat pouring down her face. Isadore used Thoron, shooting it right in Mercedes direction. Time seemed to slow down, if it hit Mercedes, she would take massive damage, and Isadore would have the advantage, but if she dodged, Seteth and Flayn would get hurt.  
Mercedes eyes widened, and she sidestepped the Thoron. The blast completely missed Seteth and Flayn. Mercedes hit Isadore with Fire, knocking him far back. One of his eyes was showing, it was brown and looked similar to Felix’s eyes. Isadore grit his teeth, glaring at Mercedes, but she stood her ground.  
“No matter how underhanded you are, you can’t risk hurting them!” Mercedes revealed, her face having calmed down. “You’ve lost whatever advantage you thought you had!”  
Isadore began breathing heavily, his fingers were twitching, a rage he couldn’t control was radiating from his entire body. He brought both hands together, and shot a tornado of fire at Mercedes. She sidestepped it, so Isadore tried using smaller blasts on her, but she sidestepped them. He pulled the ceiling down on her with a chain, but she dodged it as well, backstepping.  
Isadore yelled in frustration, raising his hand to unleash Meteor. Mercedes’s eyes widened, she knocked Isadore back with Fire, but it was too far away to do any massive damage, and the attack was too late. A Meteor crashed through the ceiling, Mercedes attempted to counter it with multiple spells, but it only dulled the attack.  
Mercedes was blasted backwards, coughing up blood. Upon hitting the ground, she activated Ragnarok to create a dust cloud. She shot Fire through the cloud, but Isadore dodged it. Isadore jumped through the cloud, only for Seteth to charge him with an axe. Isadore was knocked back, but he grabbed Mercedes with one of his chains, and pulled her into Seteth, before he knocked them both backwards with a blast of wind.  
Mercedes took a Vulnary, trying with all her might to stand up. Seteth stumbled back to his feet, helping Mercedes back up with him. Isadore rolled his eyes at their determination.  
“Why does Orpheus insist that I let his little friend live?” Isadore mumbled.  
“I’ll end this quickly!” Ingrid shouted.  
Ingrid jumped down from the hole Isadore created with Meteor. She glared at Isadore, seething with rage. Isadore smiled, opening his mouth to speak, but Ingrid slammed down with Luin, forcing Isadore to dodge backwards, before she charged him.  
While dodging, Isadore showed his arms, revealing tattoos of slits on his lower arms. Upon swiping over them, they grew into blades on his arms. Isadore got dodged one of Ingrid’s attacks, leaving a scratch across her left cheek. Isadore got in close, but Ingrid pushed him back with Luin’s handle, keeping him from getting passed her to the others. Isadore unleashed a chain, grabbing Luin, and pulling it down. Ingrid had held on, but Isadore got in close and forced her to drop it with another attack. Isadore tried to unleash another fire attack at pointblank, but Ingrid dodged it, and punched Isadore in the stomach before punching him in the face twice. Ingrid kicked up Luin and lunged at Isadore, about to pierce his chest.  
“Halt!” Narcyz called out, with a dagger to Mercedes’s neck.  
Fear etched its way onto Ingrid’s face. While she had been preoccupied with Isadore, Narcyz had nailed Seteth to the floor with his rapier, and placed a knife against Mercedes throat.  
“Father!” Flayn screamed, standing up. “Please, don’t hurt him!”  
“No Flayn, run!” Seteth screamed.  
“Where is she going to run?” Isadore asked with a smile. “There are two options in this situation: Ingrid and Mercedes die, and we take you both, or we take you, Mercedes heals Cichol, and we get away. Simple as that,”  
Isadore looked at Ingrid, but she was too focused on the situation to notice that he had said Cichol. Flayn began to walk towards them, her legs shaking. Seteth began struggling, trying to get free, screaming at the top of his lungs. Flayn passed by Seteth, tears dropping next to his face.  
Isadore grabbed Flayn with a chain, and rushed towards his exit. Narcyz let go of Mercedes to let her heal Seteth. Ingrid dashed towards Isadore, desperately trying to prevent his escape.  
“Ingrid!” Mercedes called out.  
Narcyz had lunged at Ingrid from behind. Ingrid barely dodged the attack, getting stabbed in her left arm. Ingrid’s left hand struggled to hold onto Luin, but she persevered, jumping backwards to try and keep her distance with Narcyz, and keep him separated from Isadore. Ingrid targeted Narcyz with multiple quick jabs, but he dodged the attacks, countering by trying to get close with his quick cuts.  
Ingrid dodged most of his attacks, but her arm injury gave Narcyz an edge, and he got several small cuts in. Seteth charged Narcyz from behind. Ingrid acted in tandem, the two coming at him from both sides. Narcyz pulled a silver axe out from his cloak, and used it to counter Luin, knocking it to the right, while he diverted Assal’s course with with rapier.  
Assal missed, but Seteth swung it to the right, attempting to knock Narcyz to the side, but he ducked, dashing forward, sliding through the opening on Ingrid’s right. Ingrid jabbed at Narcyz, getting a scratch on his mask. A chain grabbed Narcyz and pulled him up to the stairs with Isadore and Flayn.  
They escaped up the stairs, towards the main hall. Ingrid and Seteth chased after them, with Mercedes a bit behind. Standing in Narcyz and Isadore’s way was the Death Knight, scythe in one hand, silver sword in the other.  
“You can’t escape our battle so easily,” Death Knight announced.  
“I think you two can have your fun,” Isadore remarked.  
“You know you’ll die without my help,” Narcyz retorted.  
“Don’t move!” Ingrid ordered, as she and Seteth helped surround them.  
“Release Flayn, or I’ll-!” Seteth threatened.  
“If we so much as notice you sending messengers to King Dimitri, Emperor Edelgard, the Fell Star, or even the future Adrestian Emperor, we will kill this little beast here. It’s only natural, since if the war gets out, it’ll be doomed. You understand, right?” Isadore explained.  
“Your words are empty!” Ingrid shouted. “We have you surrounded, so give up and accept your failure!”  
“Amusing Lady Galatea,” Isadore mocked, pulling his hood down. “You think you ever had a chance,”  
Ingrid’s eyes widened, she was completely stunned. Tears began to flow down her face, and she dropped to her knees, shaking. She let out a scream, silencing the entire world. Beneath Isadore’s hood was a face Ingrid knew too well, the lifeless face of the late Glenn Fraldarius.  
Seteth and the Death Knight charged Isadore and Narcyz. The two villains went back to back, Isadore facing the Death Knight and Narcyz against Seteth. Isadore used Dark Spikes, but The Death Knight rolled out of the way, slowing him down enough so that Narcyz could quickly dispatch Seteth, stabbing him in the legs and arms, before kicking him to the back with Ingrid.  
The pair proceeded to gang up on the Death Knight. The Death Knight swung down on Narcyz, but Isadore grabbed his scythe with a chain, pulling it the other direction, letting Narcyz get in close. The Death Knight was forced to drop his scythe, and took on Narcyz with his silver sword, avoiding his rapier while trying to cut at Narcyz himself.  
Narcyz jumped back, allowing Isadore to use Dark Spikes on the Death Knight. The Death Knight rolled out of the way, but when he did that, Narcyz jumped, cutting at his armor. The Death Knight didn’t take any damage, but pieces of his armor had been removed, and his face was partially showing.  
While that was happening, Mercedes had finally stumbled into the main hall. She saw Isadore and Narcyz ganging up on the Death Knight, and reached her hand out to help, but couldn’t get a good hit in without risking hurting the Death Knight or Flayn. She saw Ingrid kneeling on the floor, and called to her. Seteth did likewise, but it was all muffled in Ingrid’s ears.  
Mercedes stumbled, falling to the ground. She crawled, ever so slowly, towards Ingrid, her body dragging across the ground. Her eyes filled with determination and desperation. She wrapped her arms around Ingrid, holding her tight, and screaming in her ear.  
“Ingrid, please help us! They’re going to kill Emile and take Flayn!” Mercedes screamed.  
Ingrid came to her senses, just as the Death Knight couldn’t fight anymore. Ingrid picked up Luin, and Mercedes moved back, smiling, tears running down her face. Rage filled Ingrid’s eyes, she charged forward, taking the Spear of Assal from Seteth, and engaging with Isadore and Narcyz.  
Isadora jumped back and grabbed Luin, but Ingrid, Adrenaline flowing through her body, pulled him towards her, and kicked him away. Narcyz lunged at Ingrid, attempting to stab her in the back, but as soon as his rapier touched her, she swung at him with Assal.  
Narcyz ducked back, but Ingrid knocked his mask off. Ingrid lunged at him with both lances. Narcyz dodged one, and countered the other with his axe, but Ingrid let go of Luin and punched Narcyz to the ground.  
Isadore was attempting to escape through the door, but Ingrid picked up both lances and shot after him. Isadore attempted to stop Ingrid by using Flayn as a shield, but Ingrid tripped him, and dragged him across the ground by his feet, allowing Flayn to roll off and run away.  
Ingrid threw Isadore away, right next to Narcyz. Isadore and Narcyz got up. Isadore glared at Ingrid, unleashing the blades on his arms, and placing his hands at the ready. Narcyz was ready with his rapier and axe.  
They charged each other. Isadore opened with wind attacks, but Ingrid dodged them. Narcyz clashed with Ingrid, constantly deflecting one lance while dodging the other, trying to get an opening. Isadore tried to cut at Ingrid with a right, but Ingrid dodged it. He shot at her head with a blast off wind from the same arm, but she dodged that too. He cut at her shoulder with his left, leaving a scratch across her arm.  
Ingrid jumped back and bat Isadore away with her lance before butting Narcyz in the head, taking a few scratches. Isadore unleashed both of his chains to grab Ingrid’s weapons, pulling her forward. Narcyz swung his axe hard, knocking both the lances out of Ingrid’s hands.  
Ingrid punched Narcyz in the face, and just began punching him. Narcyz tried to jump back, but she was too close, so he began punching her back. At the same time, Mercedes used Bolganone on Isadore, doing massive damage. She followed with Ragnarok, but Isadore rolled out of this one.  
Seteth tackled Isadore with all his might, trying to protect Mercedes from getting into direct conflict with Isadore. Isadore blasted Seteth into Mercedes with a gust of wind, and turned to Ingrid and Narcyz. He brought both hands to his mouth, and shot them with a massive gust of wind, knocking them both outside the castle, right through the door.  
“That was easy,” Melvill commented, appearing with Flayn in toe.  
“We should disappear before reinforcements show up,” Isadore ordered, bring Narcyz to him via chain, and picking him up.  
“And the girl?” Melvill asked, looking out to see Ingrid’s Father and Boone rushing to her side.  
“Leave her for now,” Isadore ordered.  
Mercedes used the last of her magic to use Fortify, lighting up the entire area, before collapsing. Seteth, and the Death Knight stood, willing and ready. Isadore sighed, and used a chain to pull himself to a safe distance. He whistled, and a horse ran to him. Mercedes tried hitting him with Fire, but he was out of range, and he got away. The group tried to move, but fell over, losing consciousness.

………

Ingrid awoke in her bedroom, bandages covering her wounds. With her in the room were Dorothea, Felix, Bernadetta, Raphael, Ignatz, and Sylvain, all looking worried. Dorothea had her hands over her mouth, Ignatz knelt down next to her bed, Sylvain and Felix were guarding the door, preparing for anything, Bernie leaned against Raphael for emotional support, who supported her with his large body and his hand wrapped around her. Ingrid looked over to her left and saw her father kneeled down against her bed, right next to her, sleeping.  
“Don’t worry, your safe with us,” Sylvain assured.  
“We almost thought we lost you,” Dorothea lamented.  
“Bernie was really worried,” Bernadetta cried.  
“You should’ve been more careful,” Felix snapped, looking down. “What would we of done if we lost you,”  
“We’re just glad your okay,” Raphael affirmed, a warm smile on his face.  
“Are you okay?” Ignatz asked, looking into Ingrid’s eyes.  
“How are the others?” Ingrid asked, leaning forward.  
“Seteth and Mercedes were pretty damaged, but they’ll pull through. Jeritza is already back at it,” Sylvain explained.  
“What about Flayn?” Ingrid asked.  
“We’re sorry Ingrid,” Ignatz apologized.  
Ingrid lay back into her pillow, looking up at the ceiling. The ceiling has a faded picture of one of her ancestors wielding Luin in battle. She reached up towards that image, but it started to blur, and her arm felt so heavy. She lowered her arm, and tears began running down her face. The silence was interrupted by the sound of someone in the room screaming.

To Be Continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the spectacle, this chapter was the most fun to write honestly


	4. gathering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignatz and Felix seek out Bernadetta, Raphael, and Dorothea. Yuri gets a mysterious message, and sends some messages of his own. Guest appearances by Manuela, Hanneman, Ferdinand von Aegir, Hubert, Byleth, and Edelgard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, you read that right, I have a planned 72 chapters listed. This is only a rough estimate, but I figured people might want to know how long I expect it to be. Thank you for your continued support, all one of you.

Ignatz had arrived in Varley territory via horseback. He could see the Varley Mansion on a large hill, boxed away from the rest of the territory. As he got closer, he couldn’t help but notice a sound comparable to a whale screaming in pain coming from the mansion.  
Feeling a sense of urgency, Ignatz speed up, rushing to the gate before he got off of his horse. Raphael had given him a spare key, so he used that to get through the gate. He got back on his horse and rushed up the hill, jumping off, and charging inside. Ignatz sped towards the source of the screaming.  
He breathed, heavily, adrenaline rushing through his blood, and sweat down his face. He found himself in front of a large brown door, he raised his fist and knocked with all his might. The screaming stopped, soon afterward, the door cracked open, and Bernadetta peered her head out, looking at Ignatz, her face red as a tomato.  
“D- D- Do you need something from Bernie!?” Bernadetta asked.  
“Bernadetta, is everything-?” Ignatz exclaimed, starting to step forward.  
“Fine! Everything’s fine! Please go away now!” Bernadetta exclaimed, shaking her head.  
“But what was that sound-?” Ignatz asked, pressing a hand against the door.  
“Nothing! There’s no one else here! No one’s in Bernie’s room but Bernie! Now please leave us alone!” Bernadetta exclaimed, trying to close the door.  
“Us?” Ignatz asked, grabbing the door, his eyebrow raised.  
“Hey Bernadetta! Who’s that at the door!” Raphael asked, walking up to the door. “Well if it isn’t my old buddy Ignatz! What brings you here!”  
Raphael’s hairy chest was completely open, and Ignatz had noticed that he could see Bernadetta’s shoulders. Ignatz’s face had devolved from determination to complete embarrassment. His face turned red, and he sweat like he was standing in a typhoon.  
“Hey Ignatz, are you okay?” Raphael asked in concern, leaning forward and frowning.  
Bernadetta fainted, falling over, but Raphael caught her with his large body. While falling over, Bernadetta accidentally let the door open. Ignatz fainted, falling to the ground himself. Raphael scratched his head, confused.  
“I’m not sure what just happened, but I think I might have freaked them out,” Raphael said to himself.

………

Felix was stuck waiting outside of Enbarr, staring at the guards in irritation, tapping his foot with his arms crossed. The city was surrounded by a large wall. Soon Hubert arrived, his eyebrow raised. Hubert crossed his arms.  
“What brings Felix Frauldarious, of all people, here?” Hubert asked.  
“I’m here to see Dorothea,” Felix explained. “Though with such tight security, I don’t see the point in doing so,”  
“What business do you have with Dorothea?” Hubert asked, eyes narrow.  
“Why do you need to know exactly?” Felix asked, gesturing towards Hubert, then to himself. “I renounced my nobility if you’re aware, so I don’t pose a threat to your Emperor or any of her allies,”  
“You say that, but Lady Edelgard is still partially responsible for your Father’s untimely death. For all I know, you could be planning to get your revenge, and your death that follows would be problematic for the Coalition, considering your connection to King Dimitri,” Hubert explained, scowling, placing his hand on his chin.  
“I’d only do something that stupid if I had to spend the war on your side,” Felix remarked, placing a hand on one hip. “If I were out for revenge, I would’ve gone for the Boar first,”  
“So you say, but your word alone isn’t enough in this situation,” Hubert stated, shaking his head.  
“Just let me see Dorothea you pawn!” Felix ordered, stepping forward, glaring at Hubert.  
“Hubert, what are you doing here? A noble should send a messenger for any important guests,” Ferdinand preeched, walking up to the gate.  
“Just dealing with a pest,” Hubert explained, turning to Ferdinand.  
“Just let me in already,” Felix exclaimed, fuming as he got closer to the gate.  
“Apologies Felix, the Emperor is out with the Professor at this time, but Hubert and I would love your company,” Ferdinand explained with a smile.  
“I didn’t agree to that,” Hubert commented, his back to Ferdinand.  
“You can come to our place for some tea and coffee,” Ferdinand invited gesturing to Felix.  
“I’m here to see Dorothea, I’m not here for you or the emperor,” Felix stated, hunched over, exasperated.  
“Hm,” Hubert stated, placing his hand against his chin with a smirk.  
“A noble pursuit indeed, though this sort of matter is probably more Lorenz’s area of expertise if you need assistance,” Ferdinand complimented, raising a fist excitedly.  
“I’m not here to court her! I’m here on official business for Ingrid Galatea!” Felix exclaimed, grabbing the bars of the gate.  
“So that’s what it is,” Hubert remarked with a smile, raising his chin in superiority.  
“Well, I think we all knew this day would come after all,” Ferdinand commented, turning to Hubert.  
“Their union could be another step towards smoothing things over between the Kingdom and Empire,” Hubert theorized, turning his attention to Ferdinand.  
“Hubert, as one of the Nations Two Jewels, you should know that a union between two people can be more than just for political means,” Ferdinand Preeched, hand on his hip.  
“That’s not what this is about!” Felix screamed at them, pressing against the bars.  
“And likewise, as one of the Nations Two Jewels yourself, you should know how the union between two important people can affect an entire nation,” Hubert argued, gesturing to Ferdinand.  
“Stop Ignoring me!” Felix screamed, trying to pull the gate open.  
“Would you like to discuss this more somewhere private over tea and coffee?” Ferdinand asked with a warm smile.  
“Hey!” Felix screamed as the guard tried to restrain him.  
“That sounds lovely Ferdinand von Aegir,” Hubert agreed likewise.  
“What about me?!” Felix screamed at them as they walked away holding hands.  
“If you’re looking for Dorothea Arnault, she and the rest of the Mittelfrank Opera Company have been out helping with morale around the Empire,” the guard explained.  
“Then what was the point of this?!” Felix asked, glaring at the guard.  
“The pleasure of getting to speak with the Nations Two Jewels of course,” the guard exclaimed with a massive smile. “By the Goddess, those two are so amazing!”  
“Where is she right now!?” Felix asked, grabbing the guard by the collar.  
“From what I’ve heard…,” the guard explained, raising a finger.  
After getting directions to Dorothea, Felix rode into the nearest forest, and proceeded to chop down as many trees as he could see until he came across Byleth and Edelgard cuddling against a larger tree. They were both wearing more comfortable clothing, and had their Heroes Relics close to them in case of danger. They both looked extremely embarrassed when Felix came across them, Edelgard more than Byleth.  
“If you want to get rid of the useless nobles, then I suggest firing the Nations Two Idiots,” Felix stated, glaring at them before riding off.

………

Ignatz awoke in a small room, similar to the one Seteth and Flayn were placed in, except of significantly higher quality. Raphael was sitting there, a big smile on his face. At the sight of Raphael, Ignatz jumped back in surprise, hitting his head against the wall.  
“Woah, Ignatz! Are you all right?!” Raphael asked, keeping Ignatz steady.  
“What are you doing?” Ignatz asked, rubbing the back of his head. “It’s creepy to watch people sleeping,”  
“I was concerned for you after you fainted earlier,” Raphael explained, leaning back with a large smile. “It’s good to see you doing well buddy,”  
“It’s good to see you too,” Ignatz reciprocated, smiling himself. “We could really use your help back in Galatea territory,”  
“I’d love to, but we might need to wait a bit,” Raphael explained, rubbing the back of his head. “Bernadetta has locked herself in her room. I think she’s mad at me, and I’d rather not leave her alone here,”  
“There’s no waiting, we’ve wasted enough time. Please, this is a matter of life and death,” Ignatz pleaded, clasping his hands together.  
“Then let’s get to it!” Raphael exclaimed with an eager smile and a fist.  
Raphael left the room, and dashed back to Bernadetta’s. He gently knocked on the door. Bernadetta heavily knocked back at the door in response.  
“Go away!” Bernadetta exclaimed. “Bernie wants to be alone right now!”  
“Sorry about disturbing you Bernadetta,” Raphael called out, looking concerned before raising his hand to his mouth. “But it sounds like Ingrid really needs our help,”  
“Wait… Ingrid isn’t going to break down my door again, is she?!” Bernadetta exclaimed.  
“Don’t worry, she’s not here right now, but Ignatz made the situation sound pretty dangerous. He said it was a matter of life and death,” Raphael explained, placing his hand against the door.  
Bernadetta went silent. She turned, and opened her closet. Shortly after, Raphael began to hear a rustling sound from inside the room. He knocked again.  
“Bernadetta?” Raphael asked, a puzzled look on his face.  
The door flung open, and Bernadetta came out fully armed. She was dressed in Bow knight armor and carrying a silver bow, a mini bow, and a spear. Her face was both determined and embarrassed at once.  
“All right, I’m gonna do it!” Bernadetta announced. “If Ingrid needs Bernie’s help, then that’s what Bernie will do!”

………

Felix had arrived at the camp of the Mittelfranke Opera company. He got off of his horse, and found Dorothea on stage singing for the village folk. Felix proceeded to get up onto the stage, grab Dorothea by the arm, and attempted to drag her from the stage. Dorothea proceeded to punch Felix in the face.  
“Excuse me, what do you think your doing?!” Dorothea asked, grabbing Felix by the collar.  
“Enough of this nonsense! I’m taking you to safety!” Felix answered, grabbing Dorothea’s wrist.  
“I don’t need to be taken to safety! I can handle myself, thank you very much!” Dorothea argued.  
“It’s not about whether you can protect yourself or not! It’s about making sure we know your not in any danger!” Felix argued back.  
“And as you can see, I’m perfectly fine!” Dorothea stated.  
“Die!” a bandit yelled, rising from the crowd with a bow and arrow.  
“We’re busy!” Dorothea and Felix shouted, turning to hit the attacker with Thoron.  
“See, this is exactly what I was saying!” Felix stated.  
“One bandit isn’t a threat!” Dorothea denied.  
“Your through!” two assassins called out from both sides before Felix and Dorothea cut them both down.  
“What do you say about that!?” Felix asked.  
“I fought in the war! There’s no threat that I can’t handle!” Dorothea answered, as a Meteor sped straight towards them.  
“What about that!?” Felix asked, pointing to the meteor before Dorothea took it out with another meteor.  
“See, it’s super easy, barely an inconvenience!” Dorothea stated, shouting over the meteor fragments crashing into the village.  
“Just go with him,” Manuela ordered from behind, hands on her hips.  
“But what about the people?” Dorothea asked, turning to Manuela.  
“It’ll be fine, you can come back when things clear up. It’ll be no trouble,” Manuela assured her with a nod.  
“She’s right Dorothea,” Hanneman affirmed, walking up to them in the Officer’s Academy loungewear. “Besides, if you keep getting into trouble, it’ll interfere with our retirement  
“...,” Felix and Dorothea said, staring at Hanneman in silence before turning around, and rushing towards Felix’s horse in a hurry.

………

“You should’ve said Ingrid needed my help from the start,” Dorothea commented from behind Felix, her eyes narrow.  
“I was in a rush,” Felix excused, waving the statement away.  
“Hehe, it’s not like you to not think straight Felix. Was I that intimidating to you?” Dorothea asked, laughing into her hand.  
“Nothing intimidates me,” Felix snapped, glancing back at her.  
“It sure doesn’t seem like it,” Dorothea commented, raising her chin, eyes closed, a big smile on her face.  
“*sigh* Think what you want,” Felix stated, shaking his head and looking down briefly before turning back to what’s in front of him.  
“Ingrid will be fine, right?” Dorothea asked, pressing up against Felix, her eyes lowered and a frown appearing on her face.  
“Her ability to dodge almost rivals the Boar’s strength, she should be fine,” Felix assured, his face tightening up.

………

Yuri sat in his office, preparing a letter. He heard a banging on his door. He wrapped up the letter and placed it with another. Constance promptly, barged into his room.  
“Yuri! Some messenger is seeking an audience with thee! What uncouth activities are you getting yourself involved in now!?” Constance asked in a very constance manner. “The husband to the head of the esteemed House Nuvel shan’t be involved in such diabolical activities!”  
“Don’t worry your pretty head, it’s just a messenger from an old friend of mine. Burn their letter and give them these encoded letters for Hapi and Balthus,” Yuri instructed, handing Constance the two letters.  
“Very well, but I expect a proper explanation afterward!” Constance ordered before walking off.  
“Never a dull moment in this place,” Yuri remarked, a smile on his face before he looked up at the ceiling, switching gears to a more solemn look. “It’s good to appreciate these times while they last,”

To Be Continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading until the end, I was trying to go for more levity for this chapter. As to why it was shorter, I felt I didn't want to mix tones too much, so I stopped it early.


	5. Mourning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The characters react to the recent events of chapter 3 before eventually deciding their next move

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to implement a new writing strategy that's faster and better, so I might try to switch to weekly, but only time will tell if that actually works out. If not it'll just be every other week still, it depends on if there are events, life happens, or I just haven't gotten the hang of this strategy.
> 
> This chapter is closer to the first two in length, where chapters one and two took up 12 pages, 3 took up 16, and 4 took up like 7 or 8. This chapter barely scratched 11.
> 
> Please enjoy

Sylvain froze outside of Galatea territory, the land had been devastated from the battle. Bodies and injured covered the ground, the injured being tended to while the dead were being prepared for burial. Entire buildings had been destroyed, and there was a giant hole in Castle Galatea. Sylvain turned to the three battalions he brought with him, two infantry, and a group of healing monks.  
“Help with the survivors for the time being, I’m going to meet with Lady Galatea,” Sylvain ordered, keeping himself together, before rushing to Castle Galatea where he was met by Boone.  
“Lord Gautier, a pleasure to have your assistance,” Boone stated, bowing to Sylvain.  
“Boone, what’s the situation here?” Sylvain asked, sweat dripping down his face.  
“Lady Galatea is currently resting from the battle, the others are at her side, please, come this way,” Boone explained, turning around to lead the way.  
Sylvain, raised a finger, but immediately dropped it with a sigh, and followed Boone along. The entrance to Castle Galatea was knocked down, and the entrance hall was a mess, scratches, burn marks, and blood stains on the ground. Sylvain spotted a blood stain showing signs of someone dragging themselves across the floor.  
Sylvain’s eyes widened, and he rushed passed Boone to Ingrid’s room, barely able to breath. As soon as he opened the door, he was stopped by Felix’s sword against his throat. Everyone was in the same positions as at the end of chapter 3, Felix guarding the door, Ignatz and count Galatea by Ingrid’s side, Bernie and Raphael in the corner, with Raphael supporting Bernie, and Dorothea off to the side, looking concerned for Ingrid.  
Ingrid lay in her bed, unconscious, Sylvain couldn’t help but tear up a little, almost dropping to his knees if there wasn’t a sword against his throat. Felix removed the blade.  
“Make sure to knock next time,” Felix criticized, his face tightened, trying to hold back any form of sadness.  
Sylvain dropped to his knees, he felt dizzy, and had trouble breathing. He felt a pat on the back, Boone had walked in. Sylvain looked up at him, his eyes filling with rage.  
“What happened?” Sylvain asked.  
“As you would know from the message, we were attacked, however the enemy was much more well prepared than we had expected. Two mysterious figures had broken into Castle Galatea and run amok. Ingrid, Mercedes, Seteth and to a significantly lesser extent, the Death Knight, were injured in battle with them,” Boone explained, placing his hand against the side of his head, as if he had a headache.  
“What kind of monsters were they? Being able to defeat all of them like it was nothing,” Bernie exclaimed, clasping her hands together and looking down, terrified.  
“Don’t give them so much credit. They let the four of them live, so they couldn’t have been that powerful,” Felix stated, looking down. He slammed his fist against the wall. “Dang it! If only we were back sooner, we could’ve stopped them!”  
“And why were you gone in the first place?” Sylvain asked, glaring at Felix, before standing up.  
“Do you have something to say?” Felix asked, stepping towards Sylvain.  
“I do in fact. Ingrid was here, needing your help, yet you felt the need to run off when she was in trouble. Was she not important enough for you to stick around?” Sylvain accused, gesturing towards Felix.  
“What nonsense is this?” Felix asked, glaring at Sylvain, hand at his hip. He gestured towards Sylvain. “Do you think I left to make a fool of myself like you?”  
“You could’ve sent anyone, yet you decided to go yourself. For what, to be careful, more like careful to not get yourself killed,” Sylvain snapped, gritting his teeth and pointing at Felix.  
“If your going there, then you better be ready for a fight,” Felix challenged, drawing his sword.  
“Be my guest,” Sylvain returned, readying his lance.  
“Stop it!” Dorothea shouted, holding Felix back. “This isn’t the time for such senseless violence!”  
“She’s right!” Raphael agreed, holding Sylvain back. “I feel horrible about what happened too, but we should be glad that they’re still alive!”  
“‘Glad they're still alive’ if any of you really cared for her, you’d want her better than alive-!” Sylvain preached, fighting against Raphael’s strength.  
“Enough!” Count Galatea shouted, making them all stop. “Do you know what it’s like to find your daughter beaten, and battered, on the brink of death, and to not only know that the culprits are still out there, but that you weren’t too far away when it happened?! Do you know how horrible it feels to have left your family to die while you were off doing your duty?! Do you know what it’s like, seeing Ingrid’s closest friends coming to support her in her hour of need, only to argue like a bunch of children!? If your going to fight, then you should not have even bothered coming here!”  
“I’m sorry,” Ignatz cried, tears falling from his face. “Mercedes was right, yet I rushed anyway, and because of that, I wasn’t here to support Ingrid when she needed it,”  
They all went silent, the only sound present being Ignatz and Count Galatea’s tears rushing like a waterfall. They calmed down, and took their places, Sylvain and Felix guarding the door with a reasonable distance between the two. Boone had left, as there were other things to do, and it wasn’t the best time for speaking. Soon after things had calmed down, Ingrid woke up.

………

Mercedes had awoken with a jolt. Her body was burning, even if it had been healed, she could still feel the pain embedded into her entire body. Ignatz entered the room with a tray of Peach Sorbet.  
“H-hello Mercedes, how are you feeling?” Ignatz asked, smiling awkwardly.  
“A little rough, but I should be fine. How are you feeling?” Mercedes asked, gesturing to Ignatz with a look of concern.  
“That’s not important right now,” Ignatz stated, placing the tray on Mercedes’s lap. “What’s most important right now is how you’re feeling,”  
“This is my favorite, how did you know Ignatz,” Mercedes exclaimed, turning to her food.  
“Mercedes,” Ignatz said, sitting down next to her bed, eyes narrow with concern.  
Mercedes sighed, looking down at her food, then back at Ignatz. She thought back to everything that had happened during the battle. Seteth’s revelation, the appearance of Isadore, Narcyz and him kidnapping flayn, Ingrid, Seteth, Emile, and herself getting beaten half to death.  
“It was horrible. All I could do was save time for Ingrid and Emile to show up, but even that wasn’t enough. We fought, and fought, and fought, but they still got away,” Mercedes lamented, tears beginning to roll down her face. “I felt so helpless by the end, only able to beg for Ingrid to help, and it feels even worse knowing this is all my fault,”  
“This isn’t your fault,” Ignatz assured, grabbing Mercedes’s hands. “You did everything you could-,”  
“But I knew it was a trick!” Mercedes interrupted. “I thought they may have planned for this, but I didn’t try hard enough to stop you and Felix from leaving.  
“That wasn’t your fault!” Ignatz shouted, giving Mercedes a hug. “If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine! You warned me, but I didn’t listen! It’s my fault things turned out this way!”  
The door creaked open, and Ingrid stumbled through, willing herself to walk with the help of Luin. Count Galatea, Boone, Raphael, Dorothea, and Sylvain weren’t far behind. Ignatz and Mercedes turned to Ingrid.  
“Ingrid,” they both said in unison, surprise in their eyes.  
“If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. When we had them surrounded, I showed weakness, and ruined everything,” Ingrid stated with tearstained eyes.  
“Ingrid, you shouldn’t be-,” Sylvain attempted to assure, walking forward before he was stopped by Raphael, Dorothea, and Count Galatea.  
“That’s not true Ingrid, no one could’ve predicted that they’d use such a dirty trick,” Mercedes assured, shaking her head. “It was my fault for letting my guard down while on guard duty,”  
“No, it was my fault for not being here to support you two,” Ignatz countered, shaking his head. “You both did everything you could,”  
“But I-,” Ingrid argued, before tripping.  
Ignatz and Mercedes immediately rushed to help Ingrid, knocking the Peach Sorbet to the side. They held Ingrid, but Mercedes was still too weak to stand, so they ended up kneeling on the floor, leaning against each other, their foreheads pressed together.  
“I feel like the Goddess has forsaken us,” Mercedes lamented, looking down.  
“The Goddess would never forsake someone as amazing as yourself Mercedes,” Ingrid assured, grabbing Mercedes’s hand.  
“Ingrid’s right, because you’re her perfect reflection,” Ignatz assured, holding Mercedes’s hand likewise.  
“Perhaps you three should take this as a learning experience rather than purely a failure,” Boone advised, cleaning up the remains of the Peach Sorbet.  
“Let’s leave them for the moment,” Count Galatea ordered, gesturing to the others.  
They got away from the door, letting Boone close it from outside. The three stared at each other, eyes widened, before sighing, and smiling just a little bit. They brought their hands together in the center.  
“I guess he has a point,” Ignatz stated, embarrassed.  
“We’ll just have to do better next time,” Mercedes assured with a smile.  
“Right…,” Ingrid said, looking down before narrowing her eyes in affirmation. “Next time, we’ll get them. They’ll face justice for what they’ve done,”  
“I’m glad I met you two,” Ignatz stated with a big smile.  
“I couldn’t agree more,” Mercedes affirmed, smiling brightly.  
“It’s truly been an amazing experience,” Ingrid complemented with a warm smile.  
Outside, the others had left, but Sylvain was still standing there, a solemn look on his face. Count Galatea walked up to him. Sylvain looked the other way, but Boone was there on the other side. Count Galatea placed a hand on Sylvain’s shoulder.  
“She’s in capable hands,” Count Galatea stated.  
“I can’t help, but worry, even if I probably don’t have that right,” Sylvain lamented, looking down.  
“Are you referring to the war?” Count Galatea asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“When we had switched sides early on, Ashe at least got to become a knight in Brigid afterwards,” Sylvain lamented, squeezing his fists. “I on the other hand, lost my chance to be with the people who truly cared for me,”  
“Fool,” Boone stated, patting Sylvain on the back. “Everyone expects you do stupid things at this point, and given your circumstances, no one faults you for doing what you did,”  
“Besides, you came back eventually,” Count Galatea added.  
“You right,” Sylvain acknowledged, lightly slapping himself on the face, and putting on a smile. He proceeded to sit down. “Well, somebody’s gotta wait for them,”  
“Your a good man Sylvain,” Count Galatea commented, sitting down with him. “I think I might join you. Boone?”  
“I’ll get to it right away sir,” Boone replied with a nod, before heading off to attend to Count Galatea’s duties. “You don’t have to worry about a thing,”

………

Seteth stumbled into the stables. Forcing himself to walk, he reached for one of the horses, only for Bernadetta to find herself standing in his way. Seteth glared at Bernadetta.  
“Get out of my way Bernadetta!” Seteth shouted.  
“Be- Bernie won’t let you, your still recovering!” Bernadetta argued, her fists shaking at her side.  
“My bodies been healed, and that’s all I need to save Flayn!” Seteth shouted, grabbing hold of a horse.  
“Now I’ve got you!” Bernie shouted, grabbing Seteth. “You’re still tired, if you head out in this condition, you’ll die for sure!”  
“And what do you expect me to do?!” Seteth shouted, pushing Bernie aside, and turning to her. “Every second I spend doing nothing, Flayn is getting further and further away, and if I take too long, it’ll be too late! Orpheus has made it clear that he doesn’t care about Flayn, so he doesn’t care what Isadore does with her when she’s done!”  
“Your acting like the Boar,” Felix commented from the stairs, his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Your thinking irrationally. Even if you could hunt the enemy, which you can’t, you wouldn’t be anything more than wasted time. ‘There are limits to what one person can do alone. Great things cannot be achieved without allies’, right?”  
“I…,” Seteth replied, his eyes widened, he looked to Bernadetta.  
“Pl-please, just let us help you,” Bernadetta begged, tears welling up in her eyes.  
“I’m sorry Bernadetta,” Seteth apologized, stumbling to his knees. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. Thank you for getting in my way,”  
“It’s okay,” Bernadetta replied, wiping the tears from her eyes. “It’s the least Bernie could do for you after fighting against you in the Empire,”  
“You did what you thought to be best, I admit that Rhea had stepped out of line in recent years, before the Empire declared war,” Seteth admitted, patting Bernadetta on the head.  
“How did you know he’d be down here anyway?” Felix asked, raising both hands in confusion.  
“Oh… Bernie was actually waiting for an old friend who might be able to help us,” Bernadetta explained, regaining her little composure.  
“Friend?” Seteth and Felix asked, raising their eyebrows.  
“You have visitors,” the Death Knight announced, entering with Yuri, Constance, Hapi, and Balthus, all on horseback.  
“Good day to all of you! You have the honor of receiving aid from the esteemed House Nuvelle!” Constance announced, spreading her arms dramatically.  
“By that, she means the two of us, and our fellow Wolves,” Yuri explained, facepalming. “Good to see you Bernadetta, I’m glad your doing well,”  
“It looks pretty bad out there, I’m not sure how I’d be able to help in this situation, but I’ll try I guess,” Hapi stated with a concerned look on her face.  
“Long time no see everyone! Wait, which ones are you!?” Balthus asked, raising a fist, and then scratching his head confused.  
“Oh no!” Felix and Seteth said, stunned.

………

They were all in the main hall, stunned looks on their faces. Mercedes and Ingrid sat, both having walking sticks to help with movement, while Ignatz and Sylvain kept close enough to them encase something were to happen, Dorothea’s hands were at her side, Raphael was holding Bernadetta steady, Yuri was biting his biting his lip, hand on his forehead, Constance had her hands ready like claws, biting her own lip, Hapi had her hands in fists, Balthus hand a hand his head, the Death Knight had little posture, Count Galatea had his arms crossed, Boone kept his normal composure, Seteth stood in front of them, and Felix stood next to Seteth, helping him stay up. Sylvain, Felix, Ingrid, and Hapi looked angry, Mercedes, Ignatz, and Bernie looked defeated, Boone and Yuri looked annoyed, Constance and Balthus looked nervous, Count Galatea and Seteth were very solemn.  
“Anyway, that’s the situation. I know that this is a lot to take in, but please-?” Seteth asked before bowing to them. “Help me save Flayn and prevent this horrible war!”  
“You don’t even need to ask,” Felix stated, his fists shaking with rage. “That dastard thinks he can walk around with my brother’s face and get away with it. I’ll remove his head from his shoulders myself,”  
“I’ll help in any way I can,” Mercedes stated, a look of determination on her face, using her walking stick to get up.  
“I have to be there this time, you can count on my support,” Ignatz stated, making a fist of determination.  
“You have my blade,” the Death Knight stated.  
“I…,” Ingrid said, glancing at her Father, and back at Seteth, using her walking stick to help herself up. “I’ll help,”  
“Then I’ll watch over things until you return,” Count Galatea added with a nod.  
“This is insane, are we really going to face people like that!” Bernadetta exclaimed, placing her hands together in prayer.  
“You don’t have to push yourself if you don’t want to. I know this is asking a lot,” Ingrid assured, turning to Bernadetta with a bow.  
“Okay! I’m gonna do it!” Bernadetta affirmed, raising both fists excitedly.  
“I can’t let my wife, my buddy, and Ingrid go without the power of these muscles. I’m in!” Raphael announced, flexing his arm.  
“I can’t let that jerk get away with what he’s done to my lovely Ingrid,” Dorothea stated, eyes narrow.  
“Dorothea, please don’t say such embarrassing things?” Ingrid asked, blushing while pointing a fist towards Dorothea.  
“I’m afraid House Nuvella currently lacks the position to partake on such a quest,” Constance stated, placing her hands together, embarrassed.  
“In short, we’re broke, and we need to do various jobs to keep our status, per the deal I made,” Yuri explained, hands behind his back. “And it seems you lack the funds to hire us for such an event. The wolves and I can help with Galatea territory however, I’ve been so busy in the Empire that I’ve been unable to keep... ‘business’ as it may, consistent in the Kingdom. We’ll help here if I can conduct work in this area, deal?”  
“That sounds fair,” Count Galatea replied with a nod.  
“All right!” Balthus announced raising a fist. “You can count on the All Mighty King of Grappling to keep this place together!”  
“Good, along with that, my connections have allowed me to track Melvill’s gang,” Yuri stated with a smile and a gesture of the hand.  
“What!?” Everyone else called out, turning to Yuri.  
“Don’t be surprised, Melvill only relies on his money for loyalty, people actually choose to follow me. My leak knows where they are, however that’s the most I was able to get. This Isadore guy seems to know his stuff,” Yuri explained, smirking with a hand on his hip, and the other raised.  
“Count on Yuri-bird to already know everything,” Hapi commented, gesturing towards Yuri.  
“Never underestimate that guy, it would be your last mistake,” Balthus commented excitedly, hand on his head.  
“Speaking of such unpleasantries,” Constance added, turning to Yuri. “What sort of ‘business’ would one as yourself be involved with in the Kingdom,”  
“Oh dear, I’m afraid we’ll have to cut this conversation short for a while,” Yuri stated, running away.  
“Yuris Leclair, don’t think you can keep your misdeeds from me!” Constance announced, chasing after him.  
“That should be fun,” Balthus stated, pounding his fists together and following.  
“Never a dull moment with those two,” Hapi added before following along.  
“Thank you, all of you,” Seteth announced, holding back tears and bowing to them.  
“Now that, that’s settled. I believe you should all be off to prepare for the journey ahead, I recommend moving out tomorrow at the earliest,” Boone advised.  
They all began spreading out to prepare for what’s to come. Count Galatea didn’t walk away however, he just stood there waiting. Sylvain did likewise, but in the background. Ingrid turned to Ignatz and Mercedes.  
“You two should go on ahead, I think I should speak to my Father,” Ingrid explained, looking down.  
“Good luck,” Ignatz encouraged, hugging Ingrid before running off.  
“He’ll understand you, don’t worry a thing,” Mercedes encouraged, doing likewise.  
Ingrid took a deep breath, squeezing her fists before turning to walk towards her Father. He was fairly tall compared to herself, and that height seemed to loom over her. Her footsteps felt heavy, maybe it was because she was still recovering or because of the weight of her choice. When she reached her Father, he gave her a hug.  
“Good luck Ingrid,” Count Galatea encouraged.  
“But aren’t you disappointed in me?” Ingrid asked, her face grimm. “That I’m shunning my duty as a noble again,”  
“I am, but I know that if you don’t do this, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life, so be proud of this decision and do what you need to do,” Count Galatea assured, tears starting to show on his face.  
“Thank you Father,” Ingrid stated, tears falling down her face. “I love you,”  
“I love you too,” Count Galatea replied.  
Sylvain rubbed the back of his neck, and walked the other way. It wasn’t too long before Ingrid chased after him. She stopped just short of running into him.  
“Sylvain,” Ingrid said awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head.  
“Ingrid… I-,” Sylvain started, raising his hand and looking at Ingrid’s forehead.  
“Thank you for coming to our aid,” Ingrid Thanked with a light bow. “Your help in the recovery has been great,”  
“Anything for you,” Sylvain replied, forcing a thumbs up and a smile.  
“You should probably head back to your territory soon, Gautier territory will need it’s leader if the war breaks out,” Ingrid advised with a face of concern.  
“I wouldn’t be too careful, the team prepared to stop it all has quite the knight with them,” Sylvain complimented, waving away the statement while looking Ingrid in the eyes for a second before going back to her forehead.  
“Thank you, I think that’s one of the better compliments you’ve given me,” Ingrid replied with a smile.  
“Hehe, well, you know me, I always know what to say to the ladies,” Sylvain bragged, hand on his hip, looking up with a bright smile.  
“Oh really,” Ingrid judged, frowning at Sylvain, her arms half crossed since she was still using a cane.  
“There you go again, I actually missed this, ya know,” Sylvain added, hands behind his head.  
“So you wouldn’t mind if I lecture you more when I get back?” Ingrid asked, now scowling.  
“I’d actually love it,” Sylvain replied, awkwardly trying to give Ingrid a hug.  
“I’m glad you came, really, I am,” Ingrid stated, giving Sylvain a hug.  
“Um… your welcome,” Sylvain replied, his face completely red.  
After that, Sylvain waved Ingrid goodbye, the sun was setting, but he and his soldiers decided to start heading back anyways. Sylvain looked out into the distance at Castle Galatea, a single tear falling from his face. On the other side of Castle Galatea, he could see Ingrid and the others in the distance. It would be morning, the sun rising behind castle Galatea. Ingrid and her friends would arm themselves, and get on horses to prepare to head off. Ingrid would look back at her home, and wonder, like Sylvain, how long it would be until they return to this place.

To Be Continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I think this is one of my best, because while I loved chapter 3 for it's action, I love this one best for it's character writing and structure.


	6. Ingrid and Felix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix and Ingrid are both troubled by Isadore using Glenn's face. Felix has started to become more impulsive and causes trouble for the group, while Ingrid tries to keep Felix under control, as one of the few people who understand what he's going through at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a little tricky. I was originally thinking that they'd encounter Melvill immediately, but I realized I should flesh things out a bit. This here, is the result of trying to write a chapter, deleting it, writing a new version, then combining the first version with the second.

In Fhirdiad, many years ago, there had been a grand ball to celebrate Prince Dimitri’s Birthday. Ingrid, rather than enjoying the pleasantries of the ball, was spending time with Glenn, who had been guarding the king. Felix had confronted the two of them, and challenged Glenn to a duel.   
Glenn looked to Lambert, who gave a simple nod. They went out into the garden to dual while Ingrid watched. Glenn won the duel flawlessly, and Felix walked away in defeat, not before Glenn gave him a pat on the head. Ingrid praised Glenn, impressed by his skills.   
Glenn, likewise, gave Ingrid a pat on the head, and decided to head back inside. Before going after him, Ingrid stopped to give Felix a lecture on how his actions were inappropriate. Felix was annoyed by this, but had been expecting it. After Ingrid left, Felix went back to practicing for his next duel.

………

Ingrid woke up drenched in sweat. She could hear the sound of grunting, and got up to see who it was. She found Felix practicing with his sword, drenched in sweat. Ingrid leaned against a tree, watching Felix, worried.  
“What are you doing up this late?” Ingrid asked.  
“What does it look like I’m doing?” Felix snapped, pointing his sword in her direction. “If you have the ability to ask questions then why don’t you take up your lance and spar with me for a change,”  
“We have work to do tomorrow Felix, we should be resting,” Ingrid lectured, crossing her arms and yawning.  
“If you’re not going to fight, you can go back to sleep,” Felix snapped, turning away from Ingrid.  
“Felix,” Ingrid stated, glaring at him before sighing and turning around. “You never change,”  
Ingrid walked away, and found Seteth sitting watch by the others. Seteth placed a finger against his lips and gestured for Ingrid to sit down, to which Ingrid obliged. Seteth made a warm smile.  
“Having trouble sleeping?” Seteth asked.  
“I had a… dream,” Ingrid explained, looking down.  
“Do you want to talk about it?” Seteth asked, looking at Ingrid with concern.  
“Not really,” Ingrid stated, looking up at the night sky. “Just an old memory,”

………

Melvill and his soldiers were camped out in a ruined castle. By Melvill’s side was a warrior with very Sreng type clothing, on her left side she carried a Wo Dao, while his other side was covered in cloth. Melvill tapped his foot impatiently, as Isadore entered the room with Narcyz.  
“And then she said her Father would find me and gut me like a fish, can you believe that?!” Isadore said to Narcyz, excitedly.  
“I’ve spoken with you, so yes,” Narcyz replied before turning to Melvill. “Perhaps we should focus on the matter at hand instead of wasting time,”  
“Right, why did you request us personally you little beast?” Isadore asked Melvill, clasping his hands together.  
“Refrain from speaking to Lord Melvill in such a rude fashion,” the woman of Sreng threatened, grabbing at her Wo Dao.  
“Halt Nariko, they’re clearly just intimidated by my amazing presence,” Melvill ordered, placing an arm in front Nariko, trying to hide the fact that he’s nervous.  
“Ugh,” Narcyz groaned, looking at Melvill in disgust.  
“Sure, that’s it,” Isadore remarked, looking at Melvill in disgust.  
“Anyway,” Melvill continued, turning to Isadore and Narcyz nervously rubbing his hands together. “Reports show that the enemy is currently in hot pursuit of us,”  
“Why is that a problem exactly?” Isadore asked, rolling his eyes.  
“You do realize how important Lord Melvill is in this operation do you not?” Nariko asked, stepping forward. “Even if we scatter at Aleil, if they’re close enough, Lord Melvill’s life will be at stake,”  
“The foreigner is right Isadore, we should try to create some distance between us and Lady Galatea. It might cause trouble with your preparations,” Narcyz agreed, narrowing his eyes at Isadore.  
“You have a solid point,” Isadore agreed with a smirk before reaching into his sleeve and pulling out a bag that he tossed to Melvill. “Use these, find some more expendable men in your company and send them to slow down our little guests,”  
“This should do,” Melvill stated, looking into the bag and smiling sadistically. “You may return to your business,”  
“We appreciated it,” Isadore said while bowing along with Narcyz before walking away.

………

Bernadetta overviewed ruins where they believed Melvill and his men were hiding, there were four watchtowers with two archers each keeping watch. Bernadetta’s view was limited, so she couldn’t get much more than that. Any other bandits were likely hiding where few could see.   
Bernadetta got down from her tree to report to the others. They were camped out under the trees, far enough from the ruins so that they wouldn’t be spotted. Felix was pacing, the Death Knight and Raphael were keeping watch, Seteth, Ingrid, and Ignatz were sitting in a circle, all anxious, Mercedes handing out snacks, and Dorothea was sitting off to the side, humming to herself. They all turned to Bernadetta.  
“Did you see anything?” Ignatz asked anxiously.  
“Was Isadore with them?” Felix asked aggressively.  
“Were there any worthy opponents?” the Death Knight asked, raising his blade.  
“Was Flayn there?” Seteth asked, standing up anxiously.  
“Did they see you?” Ingrid asked, concerned.  
“You weren’t scared were you,” Mercedes asked, placing her hands together in concern.  
“Are you feeling all right?” Raphael asked, gesturing towards her with concern  
“Um… I…-,” Bernadetta stated, struggling to breath.  
“Now everyone, give Bern some space?” Dorothea asked, standing up, and heading over to place her hands on Bernadetta’s shoulders. “Now Bern, slowly breath in, and breath out, then tell us what you saw,”  
Bernadetta took a deep breath in and out. Raphael, Ingrid, and Seteth looked embarrassed for making her overwhelmed, Felix just clicked his teeth and looked the other way, the Death Knight went back to his daily tasks, and Mercedes eyed Dorothea, almost appearing annoyed. Bernadetta had calmed down and looked in everyone’s general direction, focusing her vision on Dorothea.  
“There were eight snipers spread across four watchtowers, The rest of their forces were hidden inside their fortress as far as I can tell, but I was unable to get a clear view because of a large wall,” Bernadetta explained, before laying back to rest, with Raphael rushing to help Dorothea catch her.  
“You did great Bern,” Dorothea complimented with a smile.  
“You’re amazing, ya know,” Raphael complimented with a proud smile on his face.  
“Help yourself to some sweets,” Mercedes added, handing Bernadetta a few cookies.  
“Now that we know this, we can discuss strategy,” Seteth announced, crossing his arms.  
“We won’t be as good as the Professor, so we should probably put our heads together,” Ignatz added, nervously smiling while rubbing the back of his head.  
“No need,” Felix stated, walking off. “Just be prepared to attack,”  
“Felix?” Ingrid questioned, following after him.  
“Let them be?” Mercedes and Seteth requested, stopping the others from following.   
“The only person who could understand him right now is Ingrid,” Mercedes continued with a smile.   
Ingrid followed Felix into a secluded part of the forest. There was much more shade here than where they were camped. Ingrid reached out for Felix.  
“Felix, what are you doing?” Ingrid asked hastily.  
“What do you think I’m doing?” Felix snapped, glancing in her direction. “I’m going after that dastard,”  
“Felix, I know how painful it is, but-,” Ingrid advised, placing her hand on her chest, a sad look on her face.  
“Do you really?” Felix asked, turning to Ingrid. “Because you don’t seem to care that someone is walking around with Glenn’s face,”   
“...,” Ingrid responded, a shocked look on her face before changing to a scowl. “Do you really think that I don’t care? I saw Glenn’s face for the first time in years, and it was used against me in battle. What I feel isn’t something that could be easily expressed as rage… because now isn’t the time to be impulsive,”  
“Enough of this nonsense,” Felix announced, hand on his hip. He gestured towards her. “If you want to be rational, then I’ll sneak in, take out the snipers, then you and the others can charge forward. We don’t know how many enemies there are or what kind there are, so it’s best to stick together for the most part. It’s best that someone deals with the snipers beforehand, so I’ll take them out while you take the assault. Does that work for you?”  
“Felix,” Ingrid stated, crossing her arms, scowling at him. “That plan is unbelievably reckless,”  
“What do you suggest then?” Felix asked, squeezing his fists at his sides.  
“We should get back with the rest of the group, and talk this over with everyone else,” Ingrid suggested, reaching for Felix.  
Felix looked at her hand, sighed, and walked passed Ingrid, towards the group. Ingrid stood stunned, and lowered her hand before following back. When they returned to the group, everyone was sitting in a circle with the exception of Raphael and the Death Knight, who had resumed guard. Mercedes and Dorothea were on opposite sides, Bernadetta was between Seteth and Dorothea, Ignatz was between Mercedes and Seteth, and there was an opening for Ingrid to sit next to Mercedes, and for Felix to sit next to Dorothea, with a gap between Felix and Ingrid. When Felix and Ingrid took their seats, Mercedes smiled at them.  
“I knew you two would work it out,” Mercedes exclaimed, not noticing Dorothea eyeing her, almost looking annoyed.  
“Thank you for joining us,” Seteth stated with a bow.  
“What do you have?” Felix asked, leaning forward insistently  
“We were thinking-,” Ignatz explained, rubbing the back of his head.  
“Have everyone huddled together in the forest, Mercedes and Dorothea in the far back-,” Felix explained, drawing a giant box in opposition to an even smaller box, placing two dots in the back of the smaller box.  
“I could use Meteor to give us an opening advantage,” Dorothea suggested, raising her hand.  
“Too dangerous, they have Flayn in there with them, we should wait until there’s a clear opening,” Seteth argued, arms crossed.  
“Anyway, after Mercedes and Dorothea will be Raphael and Ignatz-,” Felix continued, adding two dots in front of the ones representing Dorothea and Mercedes.  
“All right, me and my body Ignatz will have it covered,” Raphael exclaimed, turning to them with a hardy fist.  
“Excuse me..., but I think I should switch with Dorothea, she’s better at close quarters combat, has strong magic, and can heal closer to the battlefield. I’m only a healer for the most part,” Ignatz explained, raising his hand uncomfortably.  
“Ignatz is right, while Raphael gets along better with Ignatz, I think it would be best if Dorothea is fighting with the others rather than back with me,” Mercedes added, raising her hand, eyes closed, with a smile on her face.  
“Thank you Mercedes,” Dorothea thanked, eyes closed, a smile on her face.  
“Okay, you can switch,” Felix allowed, gritting his teeth.  
“With this strategy, we could place a cavalry of the Death Knight, Seteth, Bernadetta, you and I in the front, while Raphael and Dorothea keep Ignatz and Mercedes guarded while they heal, but that doesn’t deal with the archers,” Ingrid added, throwing her hat into the ring, and placing five dots in front of the four, then circling the corners of the large box.  
“That’s because Bernadetta and I won’t be in the cavalry,” Felix stated, shooting Ingrid a glare, and erasing two of the dots in front of the four. “Bernadetta will be on the frontlines-,”  
“Frontlines! Bernie’s not built for the frontlines! Bernie prefers to fight from a safe distance!” Bernadetta exclaimed, waving her hands back and forth rapidly in fear.  
“You better not be sacrificing Bernadetta’s life,” Raphael threatened, glaring at Felix.  
“Worry not, I know what he’s getting at,” Seteth assured, looking at the drawing on the ground, and drawing a smaller box, with two dots in it, closer to the big box. “Bernadetta has the best range with a bow, she’ll get close enough to take out the archers one or two at a time. Felix knows Thoron, and will draw enemy fire while doing damage himself. This part of the strategy is reckless however,”  
“Extremely reckless,” Ingrid agreed, glaring at Felix with her arms crossed. “If the enemy attacks, Felix might not be enough to keep them occupied until everyone catches up, and there’s no telling if one of those arrows will hit you. I’ll join you in guarding Bernadetta,”  
“I don’t need your help. If you’re drawing fire with me, the cavalry will have a clear opening-,” Felix explained, pointing to three dots in front of the dots representing Ignatz, Dorothea, Mercedes, and Raphael.  
“Which is why Raphael and Dorothea are there if that happens,” Ingrid argued, pointing to the dots representing Dorothea and Raphael. “And once the archers are gone, you, bernadetta, and I can join the others while they’re on the attack,”  
“You don’t know any magic though, you’ll only be able to avoid attacks,” Felix commented, crossing his arms.  
“And that’s fine,” Ingrid argued, placing her hand on her chest with confidence. “I only need to draw their fire, and counter,”  
“A smart archer would aim for the others if you can’t fight back directly,” Ignatz argued, gesturing at Ingrid with worry. “You might have to take an arrow if things go bad,”  
“Mercedes, Dorothea, and you can all use Physic, so if I’m hurt, I should be fine,” Ingrid reasoned, gesturing towards Ignatz.  
“Tch, fine, just don’t get in my way,” Felix stated, looking the other way.  
“So to reiterate, Felix and Ingrid will draw the archers while Bernadetta takes them out, when things have cleared up enough, the Death Knight and I will charge as cavalry, with Raphael and Dorothea not too far behind, joining the fight, but staying close enough to protect Mercedes and Ignatz. Once the enemy archers have been disposed of, Ingrid, Felix, and Bernadetta will act as reinforcements if able,” Seteth reiterated, gesturing towards everyone, who nodded in agreement.

………

The others were hidden in the forest as planned, Ingrid and Felix stood at the edge of the forest, hiding behind the trees, with Bernadetta not too far behind them, lying in wait. Felix and Ingrid were looking up at the tall castle in front of them, reaching high enough that it’s shadow covered them, but far enough that the archers would have a clear opening to fire.   
Despite how imposing it was, there were scratches and holes all over the massive brick wall. It would be easy to destroy it without a second thought. Ingrid and Felix looked at each and nodded. Ingrid turned towards Bernadetta to give her the signal, but when Ingrid did this, Felix charged forward, drawing his sword. Ingrid’s eyes widened, and she dashed after Felix.  
Bernadetta was very confused, unsure of what to do, so Ingrid gave her the sign to hold for the moment. Felix immediately hit one of the archers with Thoron, and dashed for the wall. The other three archers fired arrows at Felix, but he blocked all of them with his sword and shield. Ingrid followed after Felix, almost catching up to him, but she had to jump back to dodge incoming arrows.  
Felix shot Thoron directly at the wall, planning to blast through it. At that very moment, a Demonic Beast, followed by three others, burst through the wall. Felix tried to dodge to the right, but it was already too close, all he could do was block with his shield, and Ingrid wasn’t close enough to give aid. Felix was swiped away, knocked into the watchtower on the right.  
Felix gasped for breath, pain searing through his body. One of the beasts charged him, preparing to finish him off. In a flash, Ingrid appeared, pushing the beast back with Burning Quake from Luin. This didn’t hold the Beast back for long however, as in lunged back at them. Everything seemed to slow down, if Ingrid dodged the attack, Felix would be at risk, but if she were to be injured, they’d both be done for.  
Bernadetta fired an arrow, immediately after she let go of the string, the light of the Crest of Saint Indech lit up, and time froze, allowing Bernadetta to grab another arrow, pull back her bow, and fire it. Time went back to normal and the two arrows shot through the air, hitting the Demonic Beast in the crest stone on it’s head. The Demonic Beast stumbled back, and Ingrid hit it with another Burning Quake.  
The archers in the watchtowers were preparing to fire at Bernadetta, Felix reached a hand up and hit one of them with Thoron, but the other two were still getting ready to fire. A Meteor rained from the heavens, taking out the two archers from the other watchtower, the watchtower itself, and damaging one of the demonic beasts.  
Seteth, the Death Knight, Raphael, and Dorothea charged forward, engaging the Demonic Beasts, with the exception of Dorothea, who dashed straight towards Felix and Ingrid. Along the way, she used Physic to heal Felix. Felix stumbled, trying to get up, but Ingrid held him down by his shoulders. Dorothea reached them, and promptly, slapped Felix in the face.  
“What were you thinking!” Dorothea shouted, glaring Felix.  
Ingrid gave Dorothea a hug, Dorothea hugged her back, tears beginning to fill her eyes. Ingrid pulled back, and looked Dorothea in the eyes, a serious look on her face. Ingrid gave Dorothea a nod, which Dorothea reciprocated. Dorothea rushed to help with the battle.  
Ingrid grabbed Felix, and began dragging him along the ground back to where Ignatz and Mercedes were. While she was doing this, Ingrid was breathing in the battle before her. The archers from the other towers had moved to help in taking the others out, but Bernadetta and Dorothea promptly took the four of them out.   
The Death Knight had jumped off of his horse, and charged point blank into the Demonic Beast, drilling at its stomach with his silver sword until it was defeated. Seteth and Raphael were both dealing with their own Demonic Beasts, while the Death Knight charged the fourth one. Seteth was drawing his out, using the speed advantage of his horse to run around the Demonic Beast, cutting at it’s legs and arms.  
Raphael was interlocked in a fist fight with his beast, dodging and countering as beast as he could. Raphael got hit, being thrown backwards, but Ignatz healed him, and Bernadetta rushed to support him, shooting the beast with an arrow, making it stumble so Raphael could punch it clean in the face. Dorothea did likewise for Seteth, hitting the beast with Fire so that it would stumble, allowing Seteth to make a clean hit.  
This didn’t work, as the beast knocked Seteth from his horse. Dorothea’s eyes filled with terror, she blasted the beast with Thoron, pushing it back into the wall, damaging it even further. Seteth was healed from a distance by Mercedes. Seteth stood up and faced the beast as it charged him, axe in one hand, spear of Assal in the other.  
Ingrid had finally reached Mercedes and Ignatz, who both promptly slapped Felix in the face. They glared at Felix, with Felix just looking annoyed. Mercedes and Ignatz both gave Ingrid a hug, before chasing after the others, as the battle would be over soon, and it would be best to use Heal rather than waste Physics outside of combat.  
Ingrid could see the battle coming to a close, the Death Knight had moved to assist Seteth, and the two had easily taken down the Demonic Beast. Raphael, though beaten pretty badly, was able to take the beast down with Bernadetta’s help. With the battle over, Mercedes, Dorothea, and Ignatz were healing everyone. Dorothea was desperately apologizing to Seteth, who simply smiled and gave her a pat on the head.  
Ingrid gave a sigh of relief, and looked down at Felix, she promptly placed her hand on his cheek, and glared at him. Felix looked the other way, not wanting to look her in the eyes. Felix felt a tear fall on his cheek, and looked back at Ingrid. She dropped a few tears, but continued to glare at him.  
“I’m not going to lose you too,” Ingrid stated. “So don’t ever try something like that again,”  
“I know,” Felix agreed with a sigh. “You don’t need to lecture me about it,”

………

Felix went back to practice that night, frustrated by what had happened. After the stunt he pulled, he would likely not be in the very front of the next battle. He pointed his training sword in the direction of someone’s footsteps. It was Ingrid, carrying a training lance. Felix narrowed his eyes.  
“Did you come to spar?” Felix asked.  
“Indeed I have,” Ingrid answered, readying her lance. “I thought you could use a friend,”  
“I don’t need your sympathy,” Felix snapped lunging at Ingrid.  
“I’m not here to pity you,” Ingrid stated, dodging the attack before lunging at Felix. “I’m here to join you,”  
“We’ve already discussed something similar to this,” Felix stated, pushing Ingrid’s lance down with his sword, before upper cutting towards her with his sword. “I don’t think we need to discuss it again,”  
“We’re not done discussing this,” Ingrid argued, sliding under his blade attack and repositioning herself to lunge at him again.  
“Yes, we are,” Felix asked, grabbing Ingrid’s lance. “I don’t need your help,”  
“You weren’t there!” Ingrid shouted, pushing her lance through Felix’s hand, nearly hitting him with it, her eyes filled with rage. “What’ll happen when you actually encounter Isadore?! You haven’t seen Glenn in years either, and mourned his death even more than I could, because you were his brother! Even if you know Isadore has his face, that won’t change how you’ll feel! If I can’t help you, then the same thing that happened back home will happen to you, but someone could actually die this time!”  
“Then we both have a lot to learn,” Felix stated, pressing his training sword against Ingrid’s neck, before stepping back and pointing his sword at her. “Prepare yourself,”  
“Felix,” Ingrid stated, staring stunned. She repositioned herself, and narrowed her eyes at Felix. “Are you prepared?”  
“We’ll have to find out,” Felix stated, taking a charging stance.  
Felix charged Ingrid, swinging his weapon down hard, but Ingrid blocked it, using her lance as a shield, hands placed at both ends. Ingrid slid passed Felix and jabbed at him with the back of her lance. Felix jumped back and charged forward, preparing to attack, but Ingrid spun her lance, smashing into Felix’s sword, knocking it out of his hands from below. Felix rolled to dodge Ingrid’s next jab, retaking his weapon, and using the ground as a pushing off point to charge her again. The two smiled, determination in their eyes. Seteth leaned against the back of a tree, listening in on them, his arms crossed, he smiled.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing dialogue for Ingrid can be difficult, because the writers of three houses honestly keep her rather constrained a lot of the time, so I can often be like, "I gotta just say she might do this". Similar with Felix really, with Felix I never know if I'm making him too much of a jerk ya know?


	7. down time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the characters have some down time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally supposed to have more plot to it, but it ended up being more of a set up with character interactions added in. I thought about scrapping it, but I liked a lot of the interactions between the characters, and thought some down time would be necessary to help build the characters.

Melvill’s soldiers had been nearing Aleil: the Valley of Torment when they stopped to rest. Melvill was having tea with Narcyz, looking at a map. Melvill looked rather stressed, pulling at his collar.  
“So to clarify, when we enter Aleil, we’ll scatter to cover our tracks, yes?” Melvill asked.  
“Yes, Melvill, you’ll scatter in all directions to await further orders,” Narcyz clarified, hand on his head, looking up in annoyance.  
“I’m just wondering, where I fit into the equation. I’m not a bandit, and can’t easily blend in?” Melvill questioned, scratching the side of his head nervously. “Furthermore, why enter the Valley of Torment specifically when we could’ve easily scattered right after the battle? In fact, why scatter at all, when we’re safer together?”  
“You ask the right questions. I see why you were able to make it so far as a merchant,” Narcyz commented, sipping tea. “Aleil provides greater distance from the enemy, and is an easy place to cover our tracks. We’re less likely to be seen by any passers by, and the hard ground doesn’t leave tracks that easily. Furthermore, the enemy would have to go around the whole valley to find any signs of tracks, to which there are too many, and by the time they go all the way around, we’ll be long gone. If they want to track Isadore and I specifically, they’ll just have to guess where we’re going, and follow that path, thus you and your soldiers will be able to get off easily while we take the real challenge. As to why we’re scattering, your soldiers aren’t needed for quite a bit, and aren’t currently in the best condition, so it’s best to keep them from facing the enemy right now. Does that explanation fit your needs Melvill?”  
“That doesn’t answer the question about where I fit into the equation,” Melvill stated, hand on his chin, his face shifting to a glare.  
“Hm, I don’t think there’s much of a difference between what you and your soldiers will do. You’ll scatter like them, but they’ll participate in the war while you stay hidden, I assume you can use your aid and our word to gain immunity in Sreng, and when the slaughter is done, you’ll receive compensation,” Narcyz explained, arms crossed, eyes closed.  
“That makes sense,” Melvill stated with a bright smile, before sipping his tea. “You may go,”  
Narcyz sighed, and got up, leaving the general area. He walked by a boulder, and in a flash, drew his rapier, pointing it at Nariko, who pointed her Wo Dao at him likewise. Nariko placed her finger on her lips, listening to a group of three bandits talking.  
“Did ya hear?” Bandit number 1 asked.  
“Hear? It’s pretty well known at this point that Melvill sacrificed like 12 of us just to slow the enemy down,” Bandit number 2 exclaimed.  
“Why do we need to fight an enemy anyways. We’re not soldiers, we were hired to raid Galatea territory, not sacrifice our lives for that guy,” Bandit number 3 ranted.  
“I don’t know, there were riches planned for after the war, weren’t there?” Bandit number 1 questioned.  
“And who do you think is going to get those riches? If he lives, we won’t get a cent,” Bandit number 3 argued.  
“If he didn’t have that foreigner with him all the time, I’d take him out and have my fair share of those riches,” bandit number 2 stated.  
“It’s a shame really, ever since that crazy Galatea girl and the lovely Dorothea Arnault messed with him all those years ago, it’s just been downhill for that guy,” Bandit 1 lamented.  
“Downhill, more like a straight drop off into Abyss,” Bandit number 3 remarked.  
“What can I do for you gentlemen?” Narcyz asked, dodging Nariko’s blade, putting his rapier away, and turning to the bandits.  
“Nothing,” Bandit number 2 exclaimed, rushing off.  
“Nothing at all,” Bandits number 3 continued, leaving with number 2.  
“Everything is fine,” Bandit number 1 clarified before running off with the others.  
“Your boss doesn’t seem very popular,” Narcyz commented, glancing towards Nariko, eyes narrow.  
“What are you up to?” Nariko asked, circling Narcyz with her blade at the ready. “I heard the two of you talking, and all I could hear from your mouth were lies,”  
“You say that, yet Melvill believed me,” Narcyz countered, arms crossed. “And you know that your boss was pretty good at what he did back in the day. Still has a lot of that in him these days, the only thing holding him back is his face, name, history, and Fodlan,”  
“You say that, yet you neglected to mention what happens to him until he asked you,” Nariko pointed out, raising an eyebrow.  
“That answer is simple. I really don’t care what happens to him, so I naturally forgot to mention it,” Narcyz explained, shrugging, his face disinterested.  
“But it was you and Isadore’s plan to hold off the enemy, and I distinctly remember you two hiring Lord Melvill under the idea that he would be hiring all of his soldiers as opposed to the two of you hiring them separately, placing all the wait on Lord Melvill,” Nariko accused, gritting her teeth.  
“That’s easy. You’re paranoid. Everyone works with people they hate. As an example, I work with Isadore, and ever since I met him, I’ve wanted to see him imprisoned, tried, and hung, but because it’s in the best interest of my home and myself, I let him run around for the moment. To base your conspiracy off the idea that his soldiers, or bandits realistically, are unhappy with him has nothing to do with Isadore and I,” Narcyz explained, gesturing towards Nariko.  
“You’re right, you do work with Isadore, and Isadore is very suspicious isn’t he,” Nariko commented, placing her sword close to Narcyz’s chest.  
“Listen, if you have a problem, I suggest you take it up with Melvill, because if you move that sword again, no one will be able to protect your master,” Narcyz threatened with sigh before turning around and walking off. “Remember that,”

………

Ingrid and company had stopped to rest their horses. Felix was sparring with the Death Knight, Bernadetta and Mercedes were cooking some food for everyone, Raphael and Ignatz were looking over their supplies, and Ingrid and Dorothea were tending to the horses. Ingrid smiled as she combed the horse’s hair.  
“You really love horses, don’t you Ingrid?” Dorothea asked, looking at Ingrid with a smile.  
“Indeed, back at the monastery I would often spend my time in the stables as a way to relieve stress,” Ingrid exclaimed, stepping back for the horse to take a drink.  
“I recall Ferdi and Mari would often spend their time in the stables as well,” Dorothea commented, looking up with her hand on her cheek.  
“Indeed, Ferdinand and Marianne would both spend their time in the stables. Of course Marianne never really socialized that much, so we were together in solidarity most of the time, though Ferdinand would often interrupt said solidarity,” Ingrid recalled, crossing her arms with a smile.  
“I’m so sorry about… him,” Dorothea apologized, bowing to Ingrid politely.  
“No apologies necessary, he was quite the noble, though his ego sometimes got the better of him. If anyone needs an apology, it’s probably Marianne, since Ferdinand had a tendency to scare her off,” Ingrid requested, raising both her hands in defense.  
“Oh Ingrid, your such an angel!” Dorothea exclaimed, grabbing Ingrid’s hand, and smiling at her.  
“Dorothea, this is embarrassing,” Ingrid exclaimed, her face completely red.  
Mercedes and Ignatz both briefly glanced Ingrid’s way. They both narrowed their eyes, looking a little jealous. Ignatz was interrupted when he accidentally tripped. Raphaeal stopped Ignatz’s fall, grabbing him by the torso.  
“Woah there buddy, that was close,” Raphael commented, pulling Ignatz to his feet. “You okay there Ignatz?”  
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Sorry for the scare,” Ignatz apologized, nervously scratching the back of his head.  
“Well if you ever need anything, remember that I’m always here for you,” Raphael expressed with a joyous fist.  
“What do you think about Ingrid?” Ignatz asked after a moment of silence, hunching over slightly.  
“What do I think about her? She can really put away her food. She could never beat me, but man has she been able to come close,” Raphael exclaimed, patting himself on his belly.  
“N-never mind,” Ignatz stated, a tired look on his face before he turned back to the supplies. “Let’s just get back to inventory,”  
“What do you think about her?” Raphael asked, gesturing towards Ignatz.  
“What do I think?” Ignatz asked, looking up. “I think she’s amazing. She’s helpful, she’s dedicated, she’s a little overbearing at times, she’s stubborn, she’s honest, she’s quick to make up for her mistakes, she’s powerful, she’s noble, she’s beautiful, and she always tries to do what’s right,”  
“In that case, why don’t you ask her to marry you?” Raphael asked, pointing back to Ingrid with his thumb, a massive smile on his face.  
“W-what?!” Ignatz exclaimed, waving his hands around. “I-I could never do something like that! Never, never, never!”  
“C’mon, I proposed to her once myself, it’s really easy,” Raphael encouraged, hands at his sides, a joking smile on his face.  
“You… what?” Ignatz asked, glaring at Raphael suspiciously.  
“Relax, it was just a joke,” Raphael laughed, patting Ignatz on the back.  
“Let’s just get back to inventory,” Ignatz stated, looking down at their bags.  
“Mercedes!” Bernadetta exclaimed, grabbing the stirring spoon anxiously. “You need to actually stir the food!”  
“Oh, I’m so-,” Mercedes apologized, returning her attention from Ingrid to the Berry Sauce.  
“I’m so sorry!” Bernadetta exclaimed, crouching and grabbing her head. “I’m sorry for yelling at you! You probably hate me don’t you!”  
“Bernadeta, please remember the Pheasant,” Mercedes urged, tapping her on the shoulder.  
“Ah!” Bernadetta exclaimed, returning to the Pheasant. “Get it together Bernie, you’re better than this,”  
“It’s okay, I tend to screw up a lot myself as you just saw,” Mercedes lamented, smiling at Bernadetta, then looking down with a sigh.  
“Really?” Bernadetta asked, her eyes widened.  
“Really, Back at the monastery, I once forgot to put on my uniform when leaving my room. You can imagine how embarrassed I was,”  
“That’s crazy, wasn’t your room not too far from mine? How’d I miss something like that?” Bernadetta asked, her face turning a bit red.  
“You were probably in your room,” Mercedes answered with a smile. “Thankfully, I ran into Ingrid and Annie, who helped cover me up and get me back to my room. Ingrid had chased Sylvain around the monastery afterwards for being, well, himself,”  
“Sounds like Ingrid. She means well, but she’s honestly terrifying,” Bernadetta commented, testing the Pheasant’s meat, a bit of sweat on her face from the heat, and from thinking back to the time Ingrid broke down her door.  
“That’s just one of the things I love about her,” Mercedes stated, a big smile on her face as she tested the Berry sauce.  
“Love?” Bernadetta questioned, smiling curiously, her eyebrow raised. “Like romantic love?”  
“Yes, that kind of love,” Mercedes answered, blushing a little. “Back at the monastery, I had been in awe of her. I wanted to get to know her, talk to her, eat with her, spend time with her in any way possible. I could confide in her, and she could likewise. I had gotten her ready for the ball with Annie’s help, and the three of us went together. We had lost track of Annie during the party though, so it had been like the two of us went together as a date. She looked stunning in her suit,”  
“If you love her so much, then why don’t you marry her?” Bernadetta asked, raising both arms in confusion.  
“I want to, my heart aches when I think about her, but I know that marrying her would hurt her even more, as she would be neglecting her duty and her family if she married a commoner such as myself,” Mercedes lamented, placing her hand on her chest.  
“I see, I know how terrible it can feel to disappoint one’s father,” Bernadetta lamented, placing her hands together likewise, a sad look on her face.  
“It can be very terrifying,” Mercedes added, placing her hands together in front of her.  
“But don’t worry!” Bernadetta exclaimed, grabbing Mercedes’s hands. “I’m rooting for you!”  
“Bernadetta…, thank you,” Mercedes stated in awe, before sniffing the air. “Do you smell something?”  
“Ah! The food!” Bernadetta exclaimed, turning to the Pheasant.  
“Don’t worry, it’s just burning a little, we can fix it,” Mercedes assured, turning to the Berry sauce.

………

Seteth returned to the camp as everyone was eating. Raphael and Ingrid were already finished with their food, Ingrid being a bit embarrassed about gorging herself, and the two had resumed their duties. Seteth sat down, crossing his arms, a solemn look on his face.  
“Is something wrong Seteth?” Dorothea and Mercedes before looking at each other in surprise, then giving each other the eye, shaking off the annoyance, and returning to Seteth.  
“I’m afraid we won’t make it at this rate,” Seteth lamented, looking down.  
“Don’t say that, we can-,” Ignatz encouraged, shaking his head.  
“He’s right, the battle in the ruins slowed us down significantly,” Felix stated, squeezing his fists.  
“Is there any way we can help?” Ingrid asked, stepping forward, hand on her chest.  
“There are some small mountains not too far from here. There are signs that we should be able to find some wyverns. A few of us can catch up to the enemy and track them,” Seteth explained, pointing back towards where he came from, then pointing west, towards Aleil.  
“I’m a little too heavy, so I can’t help,” Raphael stated, rubbing the back of his head, embarrassed.  
“It can be difficult to use magic while flying, so Mercedes, Ignatz and I are out,” Dorothea lamented, looking down.  
“I do have some skill with a bow, but I don’t have any skill with flying,” Ignatz added, looking down nervously.  
“I’ve been told I have skill with a bow, but the professor always had me focus on Reason and Faith,” Mercedes lamented, placing her hands together.  
“I can say that I’m not the person you’d want to be in a small group,” the Death Knight stated, feeling his scythe.  
“I’m still grounded, so I’m out,” Felix stated, looking to Ingrid, who gave a nod before turning to Seteth.  
“I can help, I had been a pegasus knight during the war, it’s not the same as riding a wyvern, but I can manage,” Ingrid stated.  
“That’s good,” Seteth thanked with a nod and a smile before returning to his serious expression. “The team should have one more just to be safe, Bernadetta,”  
“Um…!” Bernadetta said, startled, looking down nervously. “I guess I could help, I do have some experience flying,”  
“Thank you, it means the world to me that you’d help, I promise that if things get too dangerous, we’ll pull out,” Seteth exclaimed, bowing to Bernadetta.  
The group began getting ready to head out. Ingrid was connecting her horse to Ignatz’s horse with his help. Bernadetta was connecting her’s to Raphael’s, and Seteth was connecting his to the Death Knight’s. Ignatz looked nervous, a piece of paper in his hand. Ingrid raised an eyebrow.  
“What do you have there Ignatz?” Ingrid asked.  
“It’s just something I’ve been working on. I thought since you’d be going on a dangerous mission-,” Ignatz explained, his hands shaking.  
“Don’t worry about it Ignatz, it’s a scouting mission, if there’s trouble we can easily retreat,” Ingrid explained, gesturing towards Ignatz before looking up in the direction of the mountain, a little worried. “Besides, we might not even be able to make it depending on how things go,”  
“I don’t think it’ll be an issue. You’ll do it, and we’ll get Flayn back. I know things will work out in the end, and…,” Ignatz encouraged, stepping forward before, hunching over, embarrassed, a bit of sweat on his face. “now my worrying seems a little pointless,”  
“I’d still like to see the picture,” Ingrid stated with a smile, placing both hands on it.  
Ignatz let go of the picture, letting Ingrid take it. It was a rough sketch of her sitting in a chair back at castle Galatea. On both sides of her, Mercedes and Ignatz stood, Mercedes on the right, Ignatz on the left, the two of them supporting her. Ingrid smiled, narrowing her eyes. She handed the picture back to Ignatz.  
“It’ll make a beautiful painting,” Ingrid complimented, blushing a little.  
“Thank you,” Ignatz acknowledged, blushing a little.  
“Oh, Bernie’s not cut out for this!” Bernadetta exclaimed, hands on her head. “What will Bernie do!”  
“Bernadetta,” Raphael stated, standing behind Bernadetta.  
“Ah! Bernie doesn’t like it when people sneak up on Bernie!” Bernadetta exclaimed, turning to Raphael with a jump, throwing her fists down.  
Raphael gave Bernadetta a hug, holding her close. Bernadetta was a little frozen at first, but feeling the warmth of Raphael’s body holding her’s helped her melt into him. Bernadetta was a little red, but she looked up at Raphael’s bright smiling face, and smiled. The two kissed, though it was a little awkward with how much larger Raphael’s face was compared to Bernadetta’s. Raphael pulled away.  
“You’re gonna do great, good luck out there,” Raphael encouraged, his hands on her shoulders.  
“Thank you,” Bernadetta thanked, smiling.  
“Ingrid!” Mercedes called out to Ingrid as she was getting ready to head out.  
“What is it Mercedes?” Ingrid asked, turning to Mercedes.  
“I have some sweets for you when you need them,” Mercedes stated, handing Ingrid a bag.  
“Oh, thank you!” Ingrid exclaimed happily, taking the bag.  
“Good luck out there,” Mercedes whispered into Ingrid’s ear.  
“Um….uh...um, thank you,” Ingrid replied, her face completely red. “I...uh...I should… I should really get going, Seteth’s probably waiting for me… so…so y-ya know… uh,”  
Ingrid scrambled off, Bernadetta not too far behind her. Mercedes continued to watch, a wide smile on her face. Ingrid ran into Felix, who said something to her with his arms crossed, a serious look on his face. Ingrid, Bernadetta, and Seteth left, walking towards the mountain.   
Mercedes’s face began to turn red, it dawning on her that she may have overstepped her boundaries. Mercedes put her hands in her face, and kneeled down, embarrassed. Dorothea stood behind her with her arms crossed, a smirk on her face.  
“Smooth,” Dorothea commented.  
“Oh you shut up!” Mercedes exclaimed, turning to Dorothea.  
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about Mercedes, you’re young and beautiful. It’s only natural to be looking for a partner,” Dorothea added, gesturing towards Mercedes with a smile.  
“Thank you Dorothea,” Mercedes thanked with a sigh.  
“Everyone move out!” Felix ordered, getting on his horse. “We’ll need to keep up with them as best we can if we want to win this!”

……….

Narcyz found Isadore outside the camp with a struggling bag over his back. Melvill’s soldiers were just entering Aleil. Isadore smirked at Narcyz, who responded with a sigh.  
“Well, I think we’ve over stayed our welcome, don’t you?” Isadore asked.  
“I’d say so, we better leave before things get started,” Narcyz continued, looking towards Melvill’s group.  
“The beasts never learn do they?” Isadore asked, walking off.  
“The only beast I see here is you,” Narcyz insulted, following after Isadore.  
“Whatever you say Narcyz, whatever you say,” Isadore disregarded, his smirk expanding to reveal his blackened teeth.

To be continued.


	8. Bernadetta and Ingrid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions continue to rise in Melvill's camp while Bernadetta struggles with their mission to collect wyverns, trying to work through it with Ingrid's support. With this going on, Bernadetta can't help but think about her history with Ingrid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning, the start of this chapter contains a rather violent image, if I should switch the rating of the series to mature, please let me know in the comments. I might do it anyways depending on how the next chapter plays out, because when it comes to the OC of Nariko, I like the idea of a bit of getting a little violent

There was once a young girl in a cage, she had black hair that covered her eyes, and she wore a torn up kimono from Sreng. She never spoke, or made a sound, she just sat in the cage, letting it be taken wherever. This continued for a long time, so long her nails began to look like knives.  
One day, she was sold to a man whose face she couldn’t remember. When they opened the cage, the man took a look at the girl’s face, brushing her hair aside. The man was stunned, as the girl had used her long nails to scratch at his throat, weakening it so that she could puncture it with her fingers, breaking them.  
The man fell over dying, and the girl rushed out of the cage, escaping. The people selling her watched in shock before giving chase. The girl bumped into a young Melvill, when he had been around 18 years of age, roughly five years older than her.  
Melvill saw her bloody hand, and took a look at it. Melvill had one of his aides heal the hand as the girl’s sellers appeared. They spoke with Melvill, though the girl couldn’t understand what they were saying. Melvill handed them a bag of money, offering to buy her from what she could gather. Melvill turned to her.  
“What is your name?” Melvill asked in Sreng, placing his hands behind his back.  
“Nariko,” the girl responded, looking down.  
“Nariko, Nariko,” Melvill called out to her as she daydreamed, snapping his fingers. “Nariko, we’ve arrived in Aleil,”  
“Yes,” Nariko answered, coming to her senses before following Melvill. “Coming my Lord!”

………

From where they were on the mountain, Bernadetta could see Aleil’s black clouds in the distance. She, Ingrid, and Seteth had located a group of around seven wyvern nests spread across the mountainside. The three of them were crouched behind a small rock wall. Seteth showed both of them a bundle of ropes.  
“Listen, these are wild wyverns and will try to throw us off, so we need to be very careful, and get these ropes around them before they can do that,” Seteth explained, whispering. “Understand?”  
“I think it would be better if you just caught one for Bernie. Bernie isn’t the best around scary monsters,” Bernadetta excused, raising her hand nervously.  
“Bernadetta-,” Ingrid exclaimed, a frown on her face.  
“Halt Ingrid,” Seteth ordered, raising a hand for Ingrid to cease. Seteth then placed that hand on Bernadetta’s shoulder. “Listen Bernadetta, even if Ingrid or I caught you one, you wouldn’t be able to ride it. These Wyvern’s are wild, and if you want to ride one, you have to prove yourself to it,”  
“....Okay, I-I’m gonna do it,” Bernadetta affirmed with a deep breath.  
“Good,” Seteth stated, turning to the wyverns. “We’ll each select one, and grab it at roughly the same time. Until then, we should keep quiet,”  
Bernadetta and Ingrid gave a nod in agreement. The path was thin, and they’d have to climb up to the nests. Seteth started on the path first, followed by Ingrid, and Bernadetta shortly afterward. Bernadetta’s legs shook as she slowly walked across the path.  
She froze when a bit of rock came off of the pathay, but Ingrid grabbed her hand, and looked her in the eyes, Ingrid’s face filled with determination. Bernadetta followed along, holding on tightly to Ingrid’s hand. When they reached the first nest, Seteth separated from them, beginning his climb.  
Bernadetta and Ingrid eventually reached the next nest. Ingrid looked into Bernadetta’s eyes, and let go of her hand. Bernadetta, scared, tried to grab Ingrid’s hand again. The ground cracked, and Bernadetta fell off the path. Ingrid’s hand rejoined Bernadetta’s and Ingrid, gritting her teeth, pulled Bernadetta back up. Bernadetta breathed heavily, recalling her time at the academy.  
“Ah! Ugh! Stop! Please! I surrender!” Bernadetta cried out, backing away from Ingrid.  
“Giving in so soon? There’s no such thing as ‘surrender’ on the battlefield,” Ingrid stated with a joyous fist.  
“Help!” Bernadetta cried out, placing her hands together.  
“Bernadetta,” Ingrid called out, tossing Bernadetta a training bow. “I think that if you have to train with some, wouldn’t it be best that you train with me,”  
“Are you insane!?” Bernadetta asked, throwing her fists down. “How could I benefit from dueling with someone strong enough to carry me all the way here!?”  
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I recall that a lot of people are able to carry you,” Ingrid stated, grabbing her training lance before she looked down, a little depressed. “I’m not actually that useful on the battlefield, despite my skill. Dimitri has his strength, Felix is nott only skilled, but like Sylvain, has a talent for Reason, Mercedes is very skilled in Faith, Ashe will surpass me in lance skill soon, and Dedue can take a lot more damage than I,”  
“If that’s the case, then I should just give up-!” Bernadetta exclaimed, backing away.  
“Draw your bow!” Ingrid ordered, taking a fighting stance.  
“But… but I-!” Bernadetta excused, waving her hands rapidly.  
“Draw!” Ingrid order, charging Bernadetta.  
Bernadetta instinctively reached for a practice arrow, but it had been too late, as Ingrid had reached her. Bernadetta rolled to the side to dodge the attack, just barely getting out of the way. She took her arrow and placed it in preparation to fire at the moment Ingrid charged her again.  
Bernadetta was breathing heavily, looking into Ingrid’s eyes. Ingrid looked worried, but switched to determined, and gave her a nod. Bernadetta reciprocated the nod, making her own look of determination. Bernadetta stood up in tandem with Ingrid, and kept going along the path. She looked back, and could see Ingrid keeping an eye on her.  
Bernadetta took a deep breath and kept walking. She felt herself getting farther away from Ingrid, and the farther she was, the more her legs shook, the more she felt the urge to look down, and the more she could see herself falling to her death. She shook off the thought and chose to continue thinking about her sparring with Ingrid.  
Bernadetta had lost that session, but there were many more that would come afterwards. As they sparred, they would both improved significantly. Bernadetta would become one of the best archers in the academy, and while Ingrid still mostly lacked in strength, she would at some point be able to dodge almost every single attack Bernadetta shot at her.  
Bernadetta reached the third nest in line, and looked to the others. Seteth had made his climb and was waiting for the others before he would make his move, while Ingrid was waiting for her to reach the nest before making her climb. In tandem, they both started.  
The rock wall was rough, making it easier to climb, but it felt like it could shatter at any moment, causing Bernadetta to become tense. Inching up the wall, Bernadetta focused only on the nest above. She paused for a moment, as rocks broke off the wall. When she finally reached the nest, she turned to see Ingrid had reached hers as well. Ingrid looked in Seteth’s direction, nodded, then looked to Bernadetta and did likewise.  
Bernadetta gave a nod, and they all climbed into their nests in tandem, their ropes at the ready. There in the nest, sitting quietly, was a wyvern. It took notice of Bernadetta, narrowing its eyes. Bernadetta had to act fast, if not the wyvern would get away, or worse, kill her.   
The wyvern lunged at her, but Bernadetta dodged, throwing the rope out. The rope barely attached to the wyvern’s head, with part of it getting stuck wrapped around one of the wyvern’s teeth. Bernadetta attempted to get on the wyvern’s back, still holding onto the rope, but before she could properly get on, it leapt from the nest.  
Bernadetta felt a ringing in her ears, the sun shining on her face. She gripped her bow, and looked up to see Ingrid riding a pegasus above her. It was the battle of Gronder field, Bernadetta had been at the turret in the center when Ingrid appeared before her riding a pegasus. Ingrid got down from her horse, and Bernadetta left her turret. Ingrid looked at Bernadetta with a serious expression, gripping Luin with one hand and reaching out with the other.  
“Bernadetta, lower your weapon and surrender,” Ingrid ordered. “I don’t want to fight you if I don’t have to,”  
“I don’t want to fight you either!” Bernadetta cried out, her legs shaking. “But I can’t abandon my friends!”  
“You have friends on both sides. I don’t want to fight my friends either, but Edelgard started this war,” Ingrid stated, stretching her reached hand.  
“Edelgard’s not the person you think she is, she started this war for a good reason!” Bernadetta exclaimed before reaching her hand out. “Come with me, and we can explain everything, the Kingdom already lost so please don’t make us fight!”  
“Do you think there’s justifying anything she’s done?!” Ingrid asked, lowering her hand and raising Luin, glaring at Bernadetta.  
“Not what you think she’s done,” Bernadetta stated, reaching behind her back for her short spear.  
They were both very well prepared for battle. Bernadetta had a short spear, longbow, steel bow, Mini bow, an Accuracy ring, and her Crest Item. Ingrid had the Lance of Luin, a spear, an Evasion ring, a crest item, a Vulnary and a silver sword.  
“Bernadetta-,” Ingrid stated, taking position to charge.  
“Ingrid-,” Bernadetta stated, preparing to defend.  
“I will make you listen to reason,” they both stated in tandem, looking each other in the eye.  
The ringing stopped, Bernadetta was holding onto her rope for dear life. The wyvern was flying through the air, struggling to drop her. Bernadetta began climbing up the rope, trying to reach for the wyvern.  
The wyvern tried to bite the part of the rope wrapped around it’s tooth, only scratching it. Bernadetta’s eyes widened, and she tried to climb faster, however, her armor made it harder to do so. She discarded her shoulder pads, and the piece close to her neck, along with a few smaller pieces of armor that limited her movement and added weight.  
The Wyvern bit down again, tearing at the rope. Bernadetta rushed to climb the rope, time running short. Just as the rope was about to snap, Bernadetta grabbed onto the wyvern, saving herself at the last second. The wyvern struggled to drop her, but Bernadetta refused to yield, beginning her climb onto it’s back.  
Bernadetta threw her short spear, which spun through the air like a fan, aiming straight for Ingrid’s left side. Ingrid dodged, right sidestepping the attack, before charging. Bernadetta switched to her mini bow and fired an arrow at Ingrid’s right breast plate. Ingrid dodged to the right, avoiding both the arrow and the returning Short Spear.  
Ingrid jabbed at Bernadetta, aiming for her arm, but Bernadetta rolled out of the way. The dodge seemed useless, as Ingrid quickly got close again, but Bernadetta’s crest activated. Ingrid narrowed her eyes, noticing this change, and switched to a heavy swing of the lance. It was too late though, as time froze and Bernadetta was granted time to jump out of range of the attack, an arrow prepared to shoot Ingrid in the leg.  
Time unfroze, and Ingrid’s crest activated. Luin had missed, but the increased might of the attack sent Bernadetta flying backward between the Alliance and Empire forces. Petra was dealing with Raphael and other Alliance forces at the time, and had been unable to take action, while Sylvain and Ashe were behind the defensive walls, holding position as Dimitri and roughly half of the Kingdom’s forces charged forward.  
Sylvain had stopped, frozen, watching the dual that took place. Ashe and Edelgard had noticed as well, but shook it off to focus on the battle at hand. Edelgard may have called something out to her, but Bernadetta couldn’t hear it. Bernadetta couldn’t hear anything. She could only vaguely remember if that happened at all, because at the time, no one else in the world existed other than her opponent.  
Bernadetta had climbed onto the wyvern’s back, but she had been unable to get a grip on it. The wyvern dove, trying to throw Bernadetta off. In panic, Bernadetta ripped off her Bow Knight cape, and wrapped it around the Wyvern’s neck, holding on for her life.  
Bernadetta loaded her Longbow, and fired three arrows at Ingrid in quick succession. Ingrid dodged all of them, only dodging slightly to keep up her speed as she shot towards Bernadetta. Bernadetta switched to her steel bow and loaded two shots in a blink, scratching the sleeve and torso of Ingrid’s coat.  
Ingrid spear hummed like the wind as she shot it at Bernadetta, aiming towards Bernadetta’s left side. Bernadetta pulled out her Short Spear again, and dodged to her right, spinning the weapon to counter the incoming spear. Ingrid reached Bernadetta, and swung down, forcing Bernadetta to jump farther back.  
Raphael, like Sylvain, took notice of the duel between Ingrid and Bernadetta, having driven Petra and the rest of the Empire forces back with the help of the rest of the Alliance forces. Edelgard, again, called something out to Bernadetta, but the message went unheard. The battlefield lit up in flame, but neither Ingrid or Bernadetta cared to notice.  
Bernadetta charged Ingrid, swinging at her with the short spear. Rather than dodge, Ingrid countered with Burning Quake, activating her crest, and smashing half of Bernadetta’s short spear. Bernadetta sidestepped the rest of the attack, keeping close to Ingrid, her eyes shrank, and she swung down with all her might.  
“Now I’ve got you!” Bernadetta cried out.  
Bernadetta’s half of the short spear collided with Luin from the side, pushing it to the ground, and forcing Ingrid to let go of it, but not before Bernadetta’s head crashed into her’s. Ingrid stumbled back, pulling out her sword to counter the short spear. Bernadetta jabbed at Ingrid’s right arm, using the half of the Short Spear more like a sword, but Ingrid dodged, only her shoulder pads receiving damage.  
Ingrid made multiple lightning quick jabs at Bernadetta, creating multiple scratches across her body. Bernadetta’s eyes widened and she pushed forward, one hand supporting her blade, despite the damage caused, and the other holding it. Reading Ingrid’s rhythm, she clashed their blades against each other.  
They both gritted their teeth, their blades grinding against each other for dominance. Ingrid was able to push Bernadetta back, but she stood her ground, digging her feet into the ground to hold her position. Cracks began to seep into their weapons as they struggled. The battlefield had gone silent.  
“Ingrid,” Bernadetta stated, not giving away any ground. “No matter what happens, I want to let you know, I’ve always thought you were insane, and I’ve always admired you for that. You always stand up for your beliefs, and you’ll do whatever it takes, no matter how overbearing, to help others. Your determined, strong, kind, and more chivalrous than any knight,”  
“Thank you, Bernadetta,” Ingrid returned with a smile. “Even if I can’t help but feel rage towards Edelgard, I can tell that these past 5 years have been great for you,”  
“Not without you,” Bernadetta stated, smiling. “I would’ve never made it this far if you hadn’t broken down my door, and if you hadn’t sparred with me. People like you and the Professor helped give me the push I needed to grow over these years, even if they were small steps,”  
“In that case,” Ingrid stated, pushing her sword deeper into Bernadetta’s. “I wouldn’t be here without your help too. I would’ve never lasted so long without what I learned from our sparring sessions. I can say without a doubt-,”  
“That I owe more to you than I could ever repay,” they both said in tandem, preparing for one last push.  
Bernadetta cried out, breaking her blade against Ingrid’s, losing half of it, and stabbing through the frontal lower side of Ingrid’s torso. Smiling, Ingrid took out her Vulnary and used it before giving it to Bernadetta. Ingrid fell over, losing consciousness. Sylvain rushed over, grabbed Ingrid, and sped towards the Kingdom forces, Ashe looking on, worried for his former allies.   
Bernadetta looked down, and realized that Ingrid had stabbed her in roughly the same area as well. Bernadetta smiled, her vision blurring as she saw the Empire forces retreating in distance, unable to reach her at that point. She used the Vulnary before she fell over, losing consciousness. Her only other memory was that of two giant hands stopping her from reaching the ground.  
The wyvern had finally calmed down for the most part, but Bernadetta was still fairly cautious to not let her guard down. She heard a screeching off in the distance, and turned to see the others avoiding four wyverns that had been resting near the others.  
Bernadetta, getting nervous, swallowed some air, and urged her wyvern to turn around. The wyvern ignored her at first, before turning with her. Bernadetta tied the remains of her cape around her wrist, and prepared her longbow.  
Aiming was difficult with one of her hands limited, but she would have to deal with it. She loaded an arrow and shot it at one of the four, but it missed. The four were placing their focus on Ingrid, one of them lunging at her, but Ingrid dodged the attack, and tried to counter, however, the wyvern was already out of reach.  
Bernadetta hastily loaded another arrow, the knot around her wrist beginning to loosen. She missed again, and two of the wyverns lunged from multiple directions. Seteth appeared, and both he and Ingrid took out the two wyverns. While they had attacked, the two other wyverns lunged at them.  
Bernadetta’s eyes widened before shrinking. She fired one shot before her crest activated and she fired a second, taking out the final two remaining wyverns. When time resumed, the cape had been freed from her wrist. Bernadetta reached for it, grabbing it, but slipping in the process.   
She hung from the side of the wyvern, terror in her eyes. After a moment however, she calmed down, as the wyvern wasn’t trying to shake her off, it simply continued flying at a steady pace. Bernadetta climbed back onto the wyvern’s back, and reapplied her cape around it.  
Bernadetta looked to see Ingrid waving at her. It had been a few months after Gronder field, Bernadetta had been captured by the alliance. She wasn’t treated like a prisoner, but Claude had people keeping an eye on her, primarily Raphael.  
At this point, Claude had disappeared, relinquishing the Alliance to Dimitri. Bernadetta looked to Raphael, who nodded, a big smile on his face, then made some distance so that Ingrid and Bernadetta could talk alone. The two of them sat on a nearby bench.  
“It-it’s been a while,” Bernadetta stated, nervously rubbing the back of her head.  
“Indeed, I hope you’ve been well,” Ingrid added, scratching her chin, before turning to Bernadetta, a serious look on her face. “I give,”  
“What!” Bernadetta exclaimed, jumping in her seat.  
“You said that ‘you would make me listen to reason’ and you were the one that claimed victory in our dual,” Ingrid explained, gesturing towards her.  
“Bernie only won by a little in that battle!” Bernadetta excused, waving her hands in the air.  
“Even so, I can’t help but feel that you’ve piqued my interest to a certain extent,” Ingrid stated, placing a finger against the side of her head, before gesturing towards Bernadetta. “Please, I ask that you follow through?”  
“Okay…,” Bernadetta gave in, taking a deep breath. She turned to Ingrid, gesturing towards her. “It was shortly before the Insurrection of the Seven-,”

………

Melvill’s company had entered Aleil: the Valley of Torment, making it to the center, and gathering together in preparation to scatter. Heat was visible coming off the ground, and the company looked exhausted. Some of them were cranky, but tried to hide it, as Nariko kept watch over them.  
“Nariko?” Melvill asked, standing next to her, looking around nervously.  
“Yes, Lord Melvill,” Nariko responded, turning to Melvill, bowing to him lightly so that she would be prepared for anything.  
“Something’s wrong,” Melvill whispered, looking left and right. “I can’t seem to find Isadore or Narcyz anywhere-,”  
“Shhh,” Nariko silenced, raising a hand to listen to the crowd.  
“Did you hear?” One bandit asked. “Those two creeps who hired us ditched just before we got here,”  
“Wouldn’t we all like to do that?” Another bandit stated.  
“Why would they do that though?”  
“Why even have us enter this terrible place at all?”  
“Ya think it was a scam?”  
“What if it’s a trap?”  
“What if the Kingdom is surrounding us at this very moment?!”  
“Let’s calm down, whether it was a scam or if it’s a trap. We can say for sure that it’s Melvill’s fault,”  
“If we turn him in, we might survive,”  
“And if it was just a scam, we can just slit his throat for this stupid plan,”  
“I don’t think it was a trap or a scam, but I definitely don’t wanna share my earnings with that guy,”  
“What about that Lone Wolf of his?”  
“Don’t worry, she can’t take all 50 of us,”  
“Is that what you believe?!” Nariko asked, lifting her kasa up just enough so that the bandits would catch a glimpse of her eye.  
The bandits stood, terrified, sweat on their faces from both heat and stress, their skin had turned red. Nariko lowered her Kasa, and gripped her sword, adjusting her stance to where she almost appeared as a wolf ready to pounce at its prey. There were bandits on all sides of them, yet her unflinching nature made them even more terrified.  
“Now Nariko, let’s not do anything hasty-,” Melvill urged, reaching for her.  
“Stay down, and stay safe my lord, wait for an opening to escape” Nariko ordered, tightening her grip on her sword. “I will catch up with you when I’m done,”

To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked this chapter, it's been a little harder to write though, as having family at home more often leads to me getting distracted. 
> 
> This chapter was actually going to be longer, but I thought that it had started to drag really.
> 
> This one was a little harder to write, but I quite enjoyed it, and think it's one of my best chapters yet. Tell me what you think, but I think I can't help but feel proud of this one
> 
> One of the things that has slowed me down is that I decided to start doing artwork for the series, one per chapter was the idea, but it's been difficult to get that going. I think things will work out once I get the hang of it though


	9. the caged wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nariko is a bloodthirsty wolf that devours all but her master. Ingrid and company struggle against this foe, along with Melvill's mind and half of his forces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added a bit of recap in the beginning since it's been a while. I also changed the number of bandits from 50 to 60 for plot purposes. Please enjoy. Also, gore warning

“Let’s calm down, whether it was a scam or if it’s a trap. We can say for sure that it’s Melvill’s fault,” one bandit urged  
“If we turn him in, we might survive,” another added  
“And if it was just a scam, we can just slit his throat for this stupid plan,”  
“I don’t think it was a trap or a scam, but I definitely don’t wanna share my earnings with that guy,”  
“What about that Lone Wolf of his?”  
“Don’t worry, she can’t take all 60 of us,”  
“Is that what you believe?!” Nariko asked, lifting her kasa up just enough so that the bandits would catch a glimpse of her eyes.  
The bandits stood, terrified, sweat on their faces from both heat and stress, their skin had turned red. Nariko lowered her Kasa, and gripped her sword, adjusting her stance to where she almost appeared as a wolf ready to pounce at its prey. There were bandits on all sides of them, yet her unflinching nature made them even more terrified.  
“Now Nariko, let’s not do anything hasty-,” Melvill urged, reaching for her.  
“Stay down, and stay safe my lord, wait for an opening to escape” Nariko ordered, tightening her grip on her sword. “I will catch up with you when I’m done,”  
The bandits all stood silent, the tension shaking the ground itself. One of them, carrying an axe, rushed Nariko, screaming as loud as the Earth shook. Silence, A light shot from Nariko’s black cape and slit the bandit’s throat. Hidden underneath Nariko’s cloak, attached to the back of her right hand, was a claw. In Nariko’s arsenal, she had her Wo Dao, her claw, a Longbow, a mini bow, an evasion ring, and a Killing Edge.  
More bandits charged Nariko, two of them getting fairly close from both sides. One of them carried a wooden spear with a metal tip at the end. They lunged at Nariko, but she grabbed the wooden part, pushing upwards before cutting through the spear and the bandit with it. She grabbed the end of the spear and threw it at the other bandit, piercing their forehead.  
Three bandits got close to Melvill. Melvill stabbed one of them with a dagger and rolled away so that Nariko could shoot one of the two remaining with a mini bow and kill the other with a Wo Dao. Nariko pulled out her longbow, and began shooting any incoming bandits until she ran out of arrows, approximately six.  
The Bandits circled around, creating a wall of spears to keep Nariko and Melvill inside. The walls shifted, with three Armored Knights stepping onto the battlefield. One of them hobbled towards Nariko, hammering down on her with an axe. Nariko sidestepped the attack, and swung down herself. There had to be a thin gap around the area of the elbow that only a breeze could reach, severing the Armored Knight’s arm.  
Blood began flowing from the arm, like polluted sludge flowing down a river. The Armored Knight naturally reached for their arm, screaming in pain. In that moment, Nariko removed the other arm. Writhing in pain, the Armored Knight fainted. Nariko picked up the Armored Knight’s axe and stepped forward to dodge another Armored Knight’s swing down on her from behind.  
Nariko leapt off of the body of the Armored Knight that fainted, flying above the one behind her. Like an avalanche, the axe she took collided with the second Armored Knight’s helmet, crushing their skull. The third came after Melvill, but before they could even swing down, Nariko had cut right through their shield and armor with a crack of her Wo Dao.  
“Lord Melvill, would you please keep your distance from the enemy?” Nariko asked, tossing the remnants of her Wo Dao away.  
“You seem rather calm for this situation,” Melvill commented, looking around them.  
“It’s best not to overexert myself before the battle has started,” Nariko stated, pulling out her Killing edge. “Please follow my lead,”  
“What do we do?” one of the bandits asked.  
“Hold our ground and wait for an opening! There’s no way she can fight us all at once!” Another answered.  
Nariko charged the wall, prepared to cut it down. The Wall countered, jabbing at her with spears. She suspected this however, as she jumped backwards, dodging the jabs, before lunging forward and beheading five bandits in one motion.  
Nariko grabbed one of the spears and shoved it into the crowd, pushing one of them backwards, creating an opening for her to get through. She spun the spear and stabbed a bandit off to the side, and then pushed back another from the other side, disrupting the order of the wall. She dropped the spear and pulled a bandit forward, quickly beheading them with her Killing Edge.  
With the group disrupted, she quickly took out multiple bandits, thinning the wall using both her Killed Edge and Claw. Three swung down with swords, she blocked them, pressing against the back of her blade with two hands before tripping them with one of her feet, and then cutting them down while turning to deal with another enemy with her claw.  
Two jabbed at her from both directions, but she dodged and grabbed both spears, making the two bandits stab each other before she pushed their spears against themselves. One of them cut at her head, removing her Kasa, but missing her head. Nariko bore her fangs, and lunged at the bandit’s throat.  
Every one of the bandits froze as the one that got close fell over, dead. They stepped back, bringing Nariko out of the crowd completely. The battlefield had gone completely silent, even the magma flow seemed to stop. Nariko noticed that her Claw and Killing edge were in disrepair, so she cast them aside and picked up the sword of the bandit she just killed, and pointed it at the bandits, who took more steps back.  
“What are you, Some kind of monster!?” A bandit asked, swallowing some air.  
“No matter what we do to her, she just ignores it!” another exclaimed.  
“Hm?” Nariko asked inquisitively, placing her hand on her chin, only to notice two cuts across it.  
Nariko rubbed some of the blood off of the wound, and licked it. Her eyes widened and she realized that it was her own. Her body was covered in cuts all across her body, none more than skin deep, but she had probably lost a good amount of blood.  
Melvill ran up to her, he had apparently escaped when everyone was backing away from Nariko. Nariko’s eyes widened, and she kneeled down in respect for him. Melvill smiled and handed her a Concoction.  
“Excellent work Nariko,” Melvill stated with a smile.  
“Thank you Lord Melvill,” Nariko thanked, consuming the Concoction.  
“Gentlemen! Your choices are death or death! You’ve wasted a great deal of time, all while we’re being pursued by Lady Galatea and her band of elite warriors!” Melvill announced to the bandits, pointing off in the direction of Ingrid’s company. “You will charge them, fighting to the last man while Nariko and I escape! If you’re unwilling to do this, then my wolf will be released from her cage and devour all of you before the real enemy appears! Death or death! It’s your choice!”  
The bandits looked at each other, terrified looks on their faces. They nodded to one another before looking to Melvill, and bowed. Melvill and Nariko stepped out of the way while the bandits charged in the direction Melvill pointed.  
“That was too close,” Melvill stated, sighing, before directing Nariko to follow. “Now then, let’s be off before anything else happens,”  
They began walking away, but Nariko felt a breeze. She placed a hand on Melvill’s shoulder, and they both stopped. The breeze got stronger, and Nariko turned around, stabbing a wyvern through its mouth, into its brain.  
Seteth rolled off of the wyvern and lunged at Nariko with his axe. Nariko dodged and countered, but an arrow forced her to jump back further. Ingrid lunged at Nariko from her wyvern, but Nariko dodged, and stabbed the wyvern in the wing. Ingrid rolled off, and both she, Seteth, and a wyvern riding Bernadetta, surrounded Noriko and Melvill.  
Melvill glared at Ingrid, anger flowing like the magma of Aleil. He coughed into his tightened fist, and took on a calmer demeanor. He placed his hands behind his back, smirking at Ingrid and her friends.  
“If it isn’t the lovely Lady Galatea,” Melvill stated. “We weren’t expecting you to arrive here so soon,”  
“We’re not here to play your games Melvill, where are Isadore and Narcyz?!” Ingrid demanded, Luin pointed towards Melvill, and her sword ready for the defensive.  
“Do you think that we’d betray our allies just like that?” Melvill asked, leaning forward with his hand placed on his chest.  
“Your ‘allies’ seem to have abandoned you?” Seteth questioned, axe at the ready. “What loyalty do you have to those who would abandon you in your time of need?”  
“That’s quite the assumption,” Melvill stated, turning to Seteth, an eyebrow raised. “Isadore is a relatively intelligent person, he outsmarted you and your allies before, what makes you think he didn’t recognise our abilities and left us to deal with you,”  
“The situation makes it clear that he left you for dead,” Ingrid stated, narrowing her eyes.  
“Only fools from the Kingdom and Church would think such childish thoughts,” Melvill explained, crossing his arms. “There are only three of you here, while my force of roughly 30, will face your force of six as far as I’m aware. Meanwhile, you’re trapped here with Nariko, so if anyone is in a troubling situation, it’s you. While you’re wasting time, your friends will probably be on the brink of death,”  
“Bernadetta!” Ingrid called out, glancing Bernadetta’s way. “Head back, and warn the others!”  
“Will you be okay?!” Bernadetta asked, glancing around at the roughly 30 corpses, and then at Nariko.  
“We’ll be fine,” Seteth assured with a nod.  
“Okay, good luck,” Bernadetta responded with a nervous nod before flying off.  
“You won’t escape this time Melvill, surrender and you can-,” Ingrid ordered, circling Melvill and Nariko.  
“Escape?” Melvill interrupted, his eyes widening like a bubble ready to pop. “You and your friends have been the bane of my existence for the last seven years, even more so if you count the occasional trouble that whore of yours has caused for me. Now that you’re here, alone, I intend for Nariko to kill every last one of you, not before letting you suffer first!”  
Melvill threw a dagger at Seteth, forcing him to dodge out of the way. Melvill used this as an opportunity to run. Seteth chased after him, leaving Ingrid to deal with Nariko. Nariko tried to chase after Seteth, but with great weight, Ingrid swung at her with Luin, forcing Nariko to dodge.  
Melvill made it to the lava when he turned to Seteth. Seteth pointed the Spear of Assal at Melvill’s chest, glaring at him. Melvill rolled his eyes, a smirk on his face. Seteth, keeping his eyes on Melvill, turned in the direction of Ingrid and Nariko.  
“Halt!” Seteth shouted at the top of his lungs. “If you so much as lay a finger on Ingrid, he dies!”  
“How heartwarming,” Melvill remarked, raising both hands. “Isadore and Naryz are likely heading to Almyra. It makes the most sense from where we are, and it has the most obstacles, or at least it has more ways of slowing you down or annoying you,”  
“What!?” Seteth exclaimed, his face filled with confusion.  
“Don’t get the wrong idea. They expected me to do this, just as I expected them to backstab me. However on paper, we are still allies, just allies who don’t get along,” Melvill explained, lowering his hands.  
“Do you think that kind of betrayal would slide with Orpheus?” Seteth asked, his breath uneven.  
“You make a solid argument. Naryz and Isadore will likely be suspicious of how you were able to track them. You forgot one important piece of the puzzle however-,” Melvill explained before smirking all the way to his ear.  
Melvill rushed Seteth, impaling himself on the Spear of Assal. Seteth almost stumbled backwards, but Melvill placed his hands and Seteth’s shoulders to keep him steady. Melvill whispered in Seteth’s ear.  
“It’s that we all want you to burn,” Melvill continued. “Let the wolf out of its cage,”  
Melvill pushed himself away, falling into the lava of Aleil. His screams echoed throughout the entire valley, like the howls of a wolf. Everyone stood silent, staring in the direction of the burning corpse. Tears began to flow from Nariko’s eyes, she bore her fangs, and howled in response.

……….

Ignatz, Mercedes, Felix, and Dorothea were riding in the back of the group, with Raphael and the Death Knight in front. Their horses were rushing full speed towards Aleil. Mercedes’s eyes narrowed, she could see something flying in the distance. She forced her horse to stop and called out for everyone to stop. Starting with Ignatz, the others brought their horses to a stop.  
“What is it Mercedes?” Ignatz asked, turning to her.  
“There’s a wyvern coming this way,” Mercedes stated, a serious look on her face.  
“Do you think Ingrid might be in trouble?” Dorothea asked, placing her hands together in concern.  
“Is Bernadetta okay?!” Raphael asked, getting his horse ready to move.  
“Blood is flowing in our direction,” the Death Knight stated, readying his weapon.  
“It’s a warning,” Felix added, getting off his horse, and readying his weapon. “Ingrid’s not the one in danger, but we are,”  
“The Wyvern Rider… I think it might be Bernadetta,” Mercedes continued, her eyes squinting.  
Bernadetta soon arrived, and filled them in on the situation at hand. That they had found Melvill and Nariko alone, that Seteth and Ingrid attacked Nariko, that Isadore and Narcyz were nowhere to be found, and that Melvill had sent a horde of roughly 30 in their direction. Felix slammed his fist against a tree.  
“Those idiots!” Felix shouted. “They should’ve retreated as soon as they saw the corpses on the ground. Now she and Seteth are trapped with a mass murderer, and we have a large roadblock in our way,”  
“Easy there,” Dorothea eased, placing a hand on Felix’s shoulder, trying to hide her own concern. “Ingrid and Seteth are pretty strong. They should be able to handle one person,”  
“And what if that person was the Boar, or the Professor,” Felix exclaimed, turning to her. “We don’t know, this person could be so weak that they’d be dead in seconds, but what we do know is that this Nariko person was found with 30 corpses at her feet, and that she was able to kill two wyverns like it was nothing,”  
“Maybe so, but I think we should have faith in Ingrid and Seteth,” Mercedes argued, gesturing towards Felix.  
“And how did that work last time?” Felix argued, crossing his arms.  
“She’s right,” Ignatz stated, his face tightened, and his hand wrapped around Mercedes’s. “We need to hope for the best and focus on our current predicament,”  
“Do what you want,” Felix snapped, turning from everyone, and walking the other way.  
“Don’t worry about him,” Dorothea waved, stopping them from following after. “You work on a plan, I’ll go talk to him,”  
Dorothea followed after Felix, and the others got in a circle to plan. Bernadetta realized that she needed a change in armor after what happened with her wyvern. Raphael and the others were able to give her some spare armor pieces to change quickly. While Bernadetta was changing, she heard Felix and Dorothea out in the woods.  
“What do you want?” Felix snapped.  
“I want to help you, I’m worried about Ingrid too. In the middle of the battle, when there’s an opening, I’ll drop a Meteor in the middle of the enemy forces, and create an opening for you to cut through,” Dorothea explained.  
“By that point it could be too late,” Felix argued.  
“True, but in our situation, we have to compromise somehow, or we could all be at risk,” Dorothea argued back.  
“Ugh...fine, I’ll just have to have faith she can last long enough for me to show up,” Felix begrudgingly agreed.  
Bernadetta returned to camp, now wearing a unique variation of the wyvern rider class. She told the others of Felix and Dorothea’s plan to reach Ingrid. Most of them sighed, except for the Death Knight.  
“We don’t have time for this,” Ignatz complained, tapping his foot anxiously.  
“I think we should work with it,” Bernadetta asserted, giving a face of resolve.  
“She’s right, we can handle the rest without him,” Raphael added with a strong fist, a proud smile on his face. “Plus I’d like to make sure Ingrid is safe as well,”  
“As irritating as it is right now, we shouldn’t be fighting amongst ourselves,” Mercedes added likewise, scratching he cheak nervously, eyes closed.  
“We can probably just make some adjustments to fit their strategy in,” Ignatz conceded, rubbing the back of his head.  
“Hello everyone,” Dorothea greeted, walking back into the group with Felix before turning to Bernadetta. “Bern, I love your new outfit. It looks adorable on you,”  
“Um...thanks,” Bernadetta replied, blushing a little while looking down.  
The plan was simple: the team will use the trees as cover and when the bandits are in range, Dorothea will attack with Meteor. Following this, Bernadetta, Felix, Dorothea, Mercedes, and Ignatz will barrage the group with ranged attacks while the Death Knight rides in and out to weaken their ranks. When things have thinned enough, Dorothea will use Meteor again, and then Raphael and the Death Knight will charge the horde from both sides, with Felix cutting through the middle.  
When the time came, their plan played out perfectly, with everyone fulfilling their roles in the battle. When Dorothea dropped the second Meteor, and Raphael, the Death Knight, and Felix charged, Felix looked back at Dorothea and gave her a nod. Dorothea reciprocated said nod with a wink. Felix charged through the horde on horseback, cutting through his enemies, and blazing off towards Aleil.

………

Nariko, Ingrid, and Seteth stood silently. It was like Aleil had frozen over. Nariko walked over the corpses, sifting through for weapons. Ingrid created some distance, Luin on her left and a Silver sword at the ready on her right, while Seteth carefully walked over towards them, careful not to make any risky moves. Nariko took a steel sword, a throwing spear, an iron axe, three small daggers, and a Killing Edge.  
Nariko looked at the Killing Edge intently, the light of Aleil’s lava reflecting off of it like the setting sun. Nariko smiled, her teeth looked almost like fangs. She turned to Ingrid and cleared her messy hair to reveal eyes like that of a wolf. Nariko looked like a wolf happy to be let out of its cage. She closed her mouth, switching to a frown and glared at Ingrid with one intent. Ingrid took a deep breath.  
“Melvill is dead, there’s no reason to-,” Ingrid tried to explain.  
Nariko rushed at Ingrid, throwing her spear at Ingrid’s sword hand. Ingrid jumped out of the way, avoiding the attack. A dagger lodged itself into Ingrid’s right leg. Ingrid’s eyes shrunk as she kicked the dagger out, gritting her teeth from the pain. Nariko had reached Ingrid, who instinctively jabbed at Nariko in fear.  
Nariko dodged to Ingrid’s left, prepared to cut her down. Ingrid’s eyes widened, and then narrowed, as she pulled Luin back in to act as a shield, stopping the attack. Ingrid jabbed at Nariko with her silver sword, forcing Nariko to jump back. Ingrid followed up by jabbing with Luin again, pushing Nariko even further back.  
Nariko threw the last two of her daggers at Ingrid’s head. One of them missed, but Ingrid ended up dodging into the other one, that left a cut on her cheek. Ingrid grit her teeth, gripping Luin, she used Burning Quake on the ground, shattering it like a jar, with hot lava seeping out, creating a divide between herself and Nariko.  
Nariko looked at her options: if she jumped across, she’d be vulnerable, the easiest option just to attack from either side, but she wouldn’t be able to control the battlefield due to a lack of surprise. Nariko would be acting the way Ingrid wanted her to, which Nariko didn’t want on any battlefield. Nariko glanced at Seteth, then back at Ingrid. Nariko smiled, reminding Ingrid of the teeth of a hungry wolf.  
Ingrid could feel her heart pounding, the blood rushing through her veins, and the increasing pain in her leg. Nariko turned and started slowly walking towards Seteth. Ingrid tried to walk around the circle, but stumbled due to her leg injury. She grit her teeth, and began using Luin to keep herself moving. Seteth looked at her, and shook his head, but Ingrid shook her head in response.  
Seteth charged forward, rushing Nariko with his axe. Seteth quickly swung down at Nariko. Rather than jump backwards, Nariko sidestepped the attack, and attempted to cut Seteth at the throat, but her sword was stopped just short of his skin. Seteth had repositioned the Spear of Assal to block her strike.  
Seteth gave Nariko a smirk, then rushed her again, trying to uppercut her with his axe from up close. Nariko jumped back, but Seteth swung down again. Nariko tried to side step the attack like before, but Seteth had swung lightly and quickly turned to swing at her from the side, pushing her back again.  
Nariko bore her fangs, and charged Seteth while he was open. Seteth brought his axe back around, but Nariko blocked it with her sword. Seteth used the Spear of Assal, but Nariko blocked it with her axe. Nariko swept at Seteth’s feet, but he jumped to dodge the attack. Nariko jumped at him, attempted to bite at his throat, but Seteth let himself fall, and proceeded to headbutt Nariko in the chin.  
Nariko, instead, grabbed onto Seteth. Seteth knew what she was trying to do. She would wrap herself around him so that she could stab in the back with her other sword. Seteth reached his right hand to stop her, grabbing her hand. Nariko, like a frustrated animal, switched to snapping Seteth’s thumb. Seteth felt dynamite explode in his blood before fading into numbness. Rather than stab Seteth in the back, with her limited movement, Nariko cut off half of Seteth’s arm.  
Seteth stumbled backwards, the numbness consuming his body. He began screaming at the top of his lungs. Nariko prepared for her final blow when her throwing spear hit her in the back. Ingrid, using her better leg, jumped from the ground, and punched Nariko, before pushing her to the ground through the spear.  
Ingrid stumbled over to Seteth, and placed him over her shoulder. They were both gasping for breath, Ingrid writhing in pain from the attack on her leg, and Seteth barely staying awake after losing an arm. They looked each other in the eyes, and smiled.  
They began walking away when Nariko raised the concoction Melvill gave her, and drank the last two uses of it. Nariko stumbled to her feet, barely able to stand, and barely alive. Ingrid and Seteth turned to her, and made their weapons ready, their eyes narrowed, but their hands shaking.  
“I believe now is not the best time,” Nariko stated, glaring at both of them. “But know this, before you die, you will suffer like I have. May you, and all you love feel the fires of Aleil!”  
They went their separate directions, Ingrid and Seteth heading towards the others, whereas Nariko seemingly went nowhere. Soon, Felix appeared, and held both of them, caringly. He helped Ingrid and Seteth up on his horse, and sent them back towards the others.

……….

It was nearly nightfall, Felix had attempted to track Nariko, but he had seemingly found no luck. He began to head back as the forest darkened. When he had almost reached Aleil, he turned to see the eyes of a wolf in the distance, staring at him like a hungry beast. Felix readied his weapon, but the wolf turned around, and vanished into the night.

……….

Seteth woke up in a tent, bandages covering his right arm, or what was left of it. He got up to find that the sun was already up high. Seteth raised his hand to block the light, but forgot that his right hand was gone. He used his other hand to shield himself from the light and soon adjusted.  
Everyone was sitting down in a square for lunch, except for Felix, who was still out. The cut on Ingrid’s cheek had scarred, though she looked perfectly happy at the moment. Ingrid sat with Ignatz and Mercedes at both her sides, on the other side was Bernadetta and Raphael, and the other had Dorothea sitting by her lonesome. The Death Knight was off, standing guard, though he had a bowl of food himself.  
“Ingrid, could you help me get better at flying with Benny?” Bernadetta asked, turning to Ingrid, blushing a little.  
“Benny?” Ingrid asked, her eyebrow raised.  
“That’s my wyvern’s name,” Bernadetta answered, looking down.  
“Oh Bernadetta, that’s adorable!” Mercedes and Dorothea announced, clasping their hands together in excitement before giving each other the stink eye.  
“Bernie and Benny, I like it,” Ignatz added with a nod.  
“I know right! It’s like poetry, they rhyme!” Raphael announced with a joyous fist.  
“I would love to help you practice Bernadetta,” Ingrid stated, nodding.  
“No fair, why does Bern get to take Ingrid on a date!” Dorothea teased, lifting her chin, and winking at Bernadetta.  
“A...date! It’s nothing like that!” Bernadetta and Ingrid both denied, their faces red.  
“Who my wife dates is her business,” Raphael added with a serious nod, arms crossed.  
“That’s right!” Ignatz and Mercedes announced, smiling at Ingrid unconsciously.  
“What are you guys saying!” Bernadetta, looking up with her face even redder.  
“Oh Seteth,” Ingrid added, realizing Seteth was out of his tent.  
“Good afternoon everyone,” Seteth greeted, sitting down to join in.  
“How are you feeling,” the others asked, leaning forward anxiously.  
“Could be worse,” Seteth replied with a smile.  
“We’re glad to hear that, remember to take as much time as you need,” Ingrid added with a look of concern.  
“I will as best as I can, but there’s still a long journey ahead,” Seteth conceded with a smile.  
“Thank you,” Ingrid continued, smiling back.  
They all sat together eating the rest of their lunch. Felix eventually returned, having been unable to find any traces of Isadore, Narcyz, or Nariko. Dorothea had saved a seat and some food for him, which Felix casually accepted, coming off as less annoyed or disinterested. Afterward they did preparations and planning, with Ingrid following through on her promise to Bernadetta. Once they were ready they set out for Deirdriu, to be followed by Almyra.

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this one was really good, though it does feel a little less planned in some areas, as the story for this chapter was heavily modified from it's original version. the original version would have Nariko, Ingrid, Seteth, and Bernie facing off against the bandits, with the others showing up as reinforcements. Then Melvill would impulsively try to kill Ingrid, with Felix jumping in, and killing Melvill. 
> 
> It was a little bland, and while I was writing it, I changed it to what you just read. I think it was a good decision, but I think elements felt rushed, like sense of space, or the fact that Ingrid just wasn't carrying any Vulnaries, which was more of a me problem, as I often forget Vulnaries are a thing when playing Fire Emblem. 
> 
> I think Nariko and the concoction was pushing it, but I thought it wouldn't be too much of a stretch if she barely survived being impaled after taking two doses of concoction. I also think I had trouble ending this one, but I think it turned out pretty well, I was originally going to have it end on Seteth saying "could be worse,", but I just felt like continuing a bit after that.


	10. Mercedes, Emile, and Sweet Delights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Death Knight, having one of his episodes, leaves the camp for everyone's safety. Mercedes can't help but worry about her little brother, and Ingrid can't help but worry about Mercedes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried something new for paragraph structure, I'm hoping this makes it easier to read, as when I've looked back on some of my chapters, the paragraphs tend to be massive clumps that while not unreadable, I thought should be modified so that reading could be a bit easier.

A young Mercedes brought some sweets out to the garden. Her Mother had taken special care to make sure that the sweets were properly prepared. She had found Emile in the garden, and ran over to greet him.   
Father snapped at her. He had been lecturing Emile at the time, and Mercedes had failed to take notice of him.   
Father glared at her like a shark that smelled the scent of blood. Emile grabbed her by the hand and ran for it.   
Mercedes looked back, but Father had disappeared from view. She looked forward to Emile, and smiled like a flower blooming in the garden.  
They spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying their time in the garden, eating sweats, and running around. It would soon end however, as the sun set before they were done playing.   
That night, Mother took her, and they left House Bartels. Mercedes had looked back, she saw Emile watching by candle light, but slowly, that light faded into darkness.  
Mercedes reached out, trying to grasp at the darkness, hoping that she’d see Emile again. Sadly, Emile was already too far from reach.

………

Mercedes awoke in cold sweat, gasping for air. It was early in the morning, the sun barely piercing the horizon.   
She closed her eyes, and took a moment to listen to her surroundings. She heard the sounds of birds, the gentle breeze, insects beginning their daily routines, and the sound of the Death Knight walking through the forest.  
Mercedes’s eyes widened, and she got up. The Death Knight wasn’t at camp, he was out in the woods wandering aimlessly.   
Mercedes followed his footsteps that had been indented into the groud until she found him standing in the shade, the sun reflecting off of his helmet’s red eyes. Mercedes took a step forward, but the Death Knight pulled out his silver sword, and stabbed the nearest tree.   
He looked at her, and shook his head, before stepping further back into the shadows. Mercedes stood silently, listening for his footsteps long passed the point where they were hidden by the wind.  
“um...Mercedes!” Bernadetta exclaimed.  
“Ah!” Mercedes shrieked in surprise, turning to see that Bernadetta was behind her.  
“I’m so sorry!” Bernadetta exclaimed, taking a few steps back, and looking down. “I didn’t mean to startle you, I just couldn’t find you when I woke up and I know we need to make breakfast for everyone so I tried to find you and you were standing out in the middle of nowhere and I didn’t know what to do so I called out to you and you-!”  
“Bernadetta,” Mercedes assured, placing her hands on her shoulders. “It’s okay, I should be the one apologizing, let’s head back and prepare breakfast, okay,”  
Bernadetta calmed down a little, looked down, to the side, and back at Mercedes. She gave a nod, and the two walked back to camp to prepare breakfast.  
They started boiling water, and gathered ingredients for Daphnel Stew. Bernadetta did most of the cooking for the stew, while Mercedes worked on some Sweet Buns to eat with it.   
Mercedes stared down at the dough, a sad look on her face. Bernadetta looked over at Mercedes, her eyebrow raised.  
“so...Mercedes?” Bernadetta inquired, tilting her head awkwardly.  
“Are you wondering why I was out in the middle of the woods?” Mercedes asked, looking a little embarrassed.  
“It wouldn’t offend you if I asked would it?!” Bernadetta asked, stirring faster.  
“It’s fine,” Mercedes answered, closing her eyes. “I was checking on Emile,”  
“Whose Emile?” Bernadetta asked, leaning over towards Mercedes.  
“Oh, I guess you wouldn’t know,” Mercedes exclaimed, eyes widened. “Emile is my little brother. My Mother had him back when we lived in House Bartels. We were forced to leave without him though, and I hadn’t seen him for years until we were back at the academy,”  
“Wait, he was at the academy?” Bernadetta questioned, looking upward inquisitively.  
“I hadn’t recognized him at the time, but he was both Professor Jeritza, and the Death Knight,” Mercedes explained, reaching over to help Bernadetta stir properly.  
“Wait! Professor Jeritza is the Death Knight!?” Bernadetta gawked, looking over at Mercedes while stirring much faster than necessary.  
“Bernadetta, be careful not to stir too fast!” Mercedes exclaimed, turning to help her, but accidentally dropping the dough on the ground in the process.  
“...,” they both stared silently at the mess they just made. “Darn it!”

………

“Did you have any trouble this morning?” Ingrid asked, swallowing a bite of her Sweet Bun.  
“We had screwed up, and had to rush to finish the sweet buns,” Mercedes explained, scratching her chin.  
“I’m sorry,” Bernadetta stated, looking down.  
“Hey, it’s fine, as long as there’s food to eat, I’m happy!” Raphael exclaimed, giving Bernadetta a pat on the back  
“Well, I guess I’ll have to help out from now on-,” Dorothea butted in, a bright smile on her face.  
“No!” Everyone else interrupted, their hands raised anxiously.  
“Is it that bad?” Dorothea asked, looking down a little.  
“No, it’s not that...it’s,” Ingrid denied, looking towards Ignatz nervously, her hand on her chin.  
“It’s that two should already be enough and-,” Ignatz continued, looking towards Raphael nervously, playing with his fingers.  
“And both Bernadetta and Mercedes are already such great cooks, while-,” Raphael added, looking to Felix nervously, scratching the back of his head.  
“Just say she’s not a good cook,” Felix stated, taking a drink of water, his eyes narrowed. “She should know that by now,”  
“Excuse me,” Dorothea reacted, crossing her arms, and looking the other way. “I’ll have you know that I’ve made great strides since our days at the academy,”  
“Is that so?” Felix asked, leaning forward.  
“Is that a challenge?” Dorothea asked, leaning forward herself.  
“One that you’ll lose,” Felix challenged, barely swallowing one of the sweet buns.  
“Dorothea, I could always help-,” Mercedes stated, scooting over to her to pat her on the shoulder.  
“I don’t need your help!” Dorothea proclaimed, turning to Mercedes with a blind rage.  
“Felix, could you please not-,” Ingrid urged, gesturing towards Felix.  
“Stay out of this!” Felix ordered, turning to Ingrid with a blind rage.  
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Ignatz stated, lowering his head.  
“Felix,” Ingrid stated, glaring at Felix with a fiery intensity.  
“Dorothea,” Mercedes stated, scowling at Dorothea with the pressure of a waterfall.  
“Hey!” Raphael shouted with the intensity of an elephant.  
Raphael was holding a passed out Bernadetta, cradling her like a baby. Seteth coughed into his mouth  
“Thank you Raphael,” Seteth thanked before looking to the others. “Would you mind finishing this later,”  
“How about when Ingrid and Felix are training, Dorothea and Mercedes could cook food for them to compare,” Ignatz suggested, nervously gesturing towards them. “We should reach Derdriu tomorrow morning after all, so food shouldn’t be too much of an issue,”  
“I accept your challenge, “ Dorothea stated, turning to Felix and grabbing his hand.  
“Good luck,” Felix added, shaking hands with her.  
“I thought this might happen,” Ingrid groaned, hunching over and resting her chin on her fist, she turned to Mercedes.  
“These things can’t be helped sometimes,” Mercedes sighed, her hands holding her head up while she hunched over, a tired smile on her face.  
“I’m sorry,” Ignatz apologized, hunched over between them, playing with his fingers.  
“Dorothea,” Seteth called out, his arm crossed.  
“Yes,” Dorothea answered, turning to Seteth expectantly.  
“Since you’ll be staying up with Ingrid, perhaps you could start teaching her in Reason and Faith,” Seteth Suggested with a nod.  
“Huh,” Ingrid, Mercedes, and Ignatz gawked, leaning forward and looking in Seteth’s direction.  
“Ingrid, I’ve read your file, and met your Father, furthermore, this is not only a dangerous mission, but Mercedes is on cooking duty, and there’s no one better to teach you in Reason and Faith than Dorothea Arnault. It doesn’t help that my combat skills are much more limited now,” Seteth explained, gesturing towards Ingrid.  
“Very well,” Ingrid agreed with a serious nod. “As is my duty,”  
“Ingrid!” Dorothea exclaimed, running over to Ingrid and holding her against her chest. “This is going to be great. There’s so much that I can teach you,”  
“Um...Dorothea,” Ingrid exclaimed, her face completely red.  
“Hey!” Mercedes exclaimed, her face read, she wrapped around Ingrid, pressing up against her to try and pull her back.  
“Mercedes!” Ingrid exclaimed, her nose starting to bleed.  
“Um...guys,” Ignatz whispered, his face in the same condition as Ingrid’s.  
“Everyone!” Seteth ordered, hand on his hip. “That’s enough roughhousing for this morning. It’s time to get ready for the road ahead!”  
“Yes, sir!” Everyone except Felix and Bernadetta replied, standing straight, and heading off to prepare to move out.  
“Hmph,” Felix added, doing likewise.  
“What happened to Bernie?” Bernadetta asked, regaining consciousness.  
“Don’t worry too much about it,” Raphael urged, a warm smile on his face. “We need to start getting ready,”  
“Okay,” Bernadetta stated, giving a thumbs up, and following along.  
“Ingrid, Mercedes!” Seteth called out, looking in their direction.  
“Yes!” they both replied, running up to him.  
“Do you know where the Death Knight is?” Seteth asked, his eyes narrowed.  
“Oh, he’s-...,” Mercedes answered, looking down, her hands placed together.  
“I understand,” Seteth interrupted, raising his hand. “Don’t worry too much about him. He’ll catch up when he’s ready,”  
“....okay,” Mercedes agreed, taking a deep breath, and making a face of confidence.  
“You can go now,” Seteth allowed with a bow, letting Mercedes head off, before turning to Ingrid. “You and I need to talk, bring Luin”

………

Seteth brought Ingrid to a place in the woods secluded from everyone else. The sun shone through the trees and there was a large rock in the middle.   
Seteth, holding the Spear of Assal, stepped onto the rock, and turned to Ingrid, who held Luin. Ingrid looked up at Seteth curiously.  
“What did you want to talk about?” Ingrid asked.  
“Ingrid, I don’t know if you noticed this, but you’re the leader of your territory now,” Seteth stated, his eyes narrowed.  
“Indeed, though I can’t say I’ve been a very good leader,” Ingrid stated, placing her hands on Luin while looking down.  
“Do you know why that is?” Seteth asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“I assume it’s my lack of experience as anything more than a knight,” Ingrid stated, closing her eyes to think.  
“Precisely,” Seteth answered, giving a nod in agreement. “So you should be using this time to grow and improve,”  
“Are you intending to teach me?” Ingrid asked, gesturing towards Seteth.  
“Not exactly,” Seteth stated, shaking his head. “I can only ask that at some point you begin taking the initiative. For instance, a leader without their arm shouldn’t be leading the charge into battle or on the battlefield at all depending on the circumstance. That’s why I believe that you should increase your skills,”  
“Which is why you asked Dorothea to teach me in Reason and Faith,” Ingrid added, a smile on her face.  
“There’s that, but I also wanted to lead by example,” Seteth explained, giving Ingrid a nod in return. “The breakfast table got too rowdy, and you were getting caught up in it. It’s fine for these things to occur, but a leader should keep focused in such times, not too focused of course. Asking Dorothea to help out was also a good way to deter any possible fallout. It’s unlikely that this cooking little competition of yours will go well for her, and it’s good for her to have something to fall back on in the group. Keep these kinds of things in mind when leading,”  
“I will do my best,” Ingrid stated, kneeling down. “As is my duty!”  
“Good, one more thing,” Seteth stated, giving a nod, then handing Ingrid the Spear of Assal. “Can you start practicing with this?”  
“Excuse me?” Ingrid asked, her eyes widened, looking up at Seteth. “Isn’t this weapon your’s?”  
“I’m afraid it’s hard to use a Lance with one hand, not undoable, but I won’t be risking much combat from now on,” Seteth explained, a look of determination in his eyes. “I want you to be strong enough to protect your army, your territory, your friends, and yourself. Magic isn’t the best for close quarters combat, so I’d like you to start training with two lances, so that you can master use of them together. Thankfully that battle of Galatea territory gave you some experience,”  
“Is this really necessary?” Ingrid asked, placing her hand on the Spear. “Once we rescue Flayn, shouldn’t everything fall into place?”  
“A good leader must be confident, but a good leader should be at their best, whether or not the worst could come to pass,” Seteth stated, letting go of the spear. “Good luck and be ready,”  
“As is my duty,” Ingrid stated, standing up, and stepping up onto the rock with Seteth. “Thank you, Seteth,”  
“There’s one last thing Ingrid,” Seteth stated, crossing his arm. “Do you know what’s going on with the Death Knight?”  
“Oh,” Ingrid stated, looking down. “Mercedes has told me, but he actually has two personalities, Mercedes’s little brother Emile, and the murderous Death Knight. He often loses control of the Death Knight and leaves for a short period of time until it passes,”  
“I see, that must be very hard for Mercedes to bear, and even harder for Emile,” Seteth lamented, a frown on his face. “You’ll have to let everyone know to not stray too far from the group, and to be cautious of the Death Knight when he returns,”  
“As is my duty, they should know of the second part, but I’ll let them know either way, since some of them tend to be very impulsive,” Ingrid agreed, placing her hands behind her back, and bowing.  
“You should keep yourself in mind as well,” Seteth advised, doing likewise.

………

The sun had set and everyone was settling down for the evening. Mercedes was preparing a station to cook. She felt a gentle breeze, then stared off into the distance, a worried look on her face.  
“Are you okay Mercedes?” Ingrid asked, gesturing towards Mercedes, a worried look on her face.  
“Oh!” Mercedes jumped, not having noticed Ingrid’s presence. “I’m fine, perfectly fine. Just a little distracted is all,”  
“Are you sure? I’m aware of the situation if you wanted to talk about it?” Ingrid asked, loosely crossing her arms.  
“There really is no need to worry Ingrid,” Mercedes excused, closing her eyes with her hands in front of her.  
“Mercedes,” Ingrid stated, a sad look on her face.  
“Oh Ingrid,” Mercedes sighed, looking down, gloom in her eyes. “It’s really difficult sometimes. I always try my best to help people and talk to them. I can’t really do that with Emile, not when he’s like this. I want to help him, or at least get him help, but everyone’s so busy, and there isn’t enough time for that yet. I don’t know what to do, my little brother is suffering, and I don’t know what to do,”  
“Don’t worry,” Ingrid consoled, grabbing Mercedes’s hands. “Once we rescue Flayn and return to Galatea territory, you, Ignatz, and I will do everything we can to help Emile, I swear on my honor as a knight,”  
“Thank you,” Mercedes thanked, looking up at Ingrid, and smiling at her with her eyes closed. “You know, We’ve known each other for awhile now, you can call me Mercie if you want?”  
“Oh….,” Ingrid responded, letting go of Mercedes’s hands, and blushing, looking downward. “That would be improper, don’t you think?”  
“I think it would be fine,” Mercedes laughed. “We’re allowed to be less formal, don’t you think Ingri?”  
“Ingri!” Ingrid exclaimed, jumping back with surprise. Ingrid constantly looked left and right, moving her hand messily. “I don’t know that definitely isn’t formal and I’m both a knight and leader of a territory while also apparently I’m supposed to lead you all into battle at some point so maybe we should be more formal especially since that would-,”  
“Ingri?” Mercedes asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“Ah, she said it again!” Ingrid exclaimed, placing her hands on his cheeks. “Anyway I should probably start my training with Felix! Good luck!”  
“Thanks, you too,” Mercedes bid farewell, giving a wave and smile.  
Ingrid waved goodbye, and began to walk off. She felt a breeze, and looked back to Mercedes.   
Mercedes was working at her post, keeping her happy demeanor, but Ingrid noticed moonlight reflecting off of her eyes. There, just barely hidden from sight, was a single tear.  
Ingrid’s eyes widened, and she ran off. She grabbed a wooden lance, ran over to the horses and began to get on one.   
Felix walked out from the shadows, a wooden sword in his hands. He frowned, and looked at her with his eyes narrowed.  
“Where do you think you’re going?” Felix asked.  
“Sorry, Felix,” Ingrid apologized, anxiously turning towards Felix. “I’ll be taking a raincheck for tonight,”  
“You’re an idiot,” Felix insulted, walking passed Ingrid.  
“I know, I know, I’m an idiot, I’m reckless, I’m stubborn, and I’m not fit to lead, but-,” Ingrid ranted, continuing to get ready.  
“I never said you weren’t fit to lead,” Felix stated, getting up on his horse. “But you’re definitely stubborn, reckless, and an idiot,”  
“Felix,” Ingrid stated in awe, turning to Felix with widened eyes.  
“Just shut up, and ride, someone has to keep you from getting yourself killed,” Felix remarked, looking over at Ingrid with a smile.  
Ingrid gave Felix a nod, and they began their ride. There horses sped like a train, galloping through the forest at full speed, so much that the trees almost looked like black and blue walls. Under that moonlight, they began their search for Emile.

………

They found the Death Knight sitting in the middle of the woods, alone. He was looking down, holding his scythe with both hands, his hands trembling.   
Around him were many trees that had been cut down in the path that he followed, having tried to keep up with Mercedes while still keeping his distance. Ingrid and Felix got off their horse, and began cautiously walking towards the Death Knight. The Death Knight swung his scythe, cutting at the grass around him.  
“Stay away!” he shouted.  
“Emile, it’s okay, we’re here to help you,” Ingrid called out, standing at the ready, her hand reached out to calm him.  
“The only thing you have that can help me is your blood!” the Death Knight called out, standing up.  
“Ingrid, talking won’t get us anywhere with this savage beast,” Felix stated, pulling at her shoulder. “We should head back and leave him to himself,”  
“Not yet Felix,” Ingrid argued, stepping forward, her wooden lance at the ready. “Give me some time to break through to him,”  
“Do you dare approach me?” the Death Knight asked, looming over Ingrid like a mountain.  
“I’m not here for the Death Knight, I’m here for Emile,” Ingrid stated, stepping forward.  
“Emile is none of your concern!” the Death Knight shrieked, swinging down his scythe at Ingrid.  
Ingrid could feel the weight of the scythe as it barreled towards her. For an instance, she had thought about dodging the attack, but an image flashed into her mind of Mercedes’s face from before.  
Ingrid’s eyes shrunk, and she stood her ground. She lifted up her lance, and holding it horizontally, blocked the scythe by it’s main body.   
“Emile is my concern!” Ingrid shouted in protest. “Mercedes is worried about you, and I know you’re worried about her!”  
“I need not worry, I only need blood!” he bellowed, putting more pressure onto Ingrid’s lance.  
“You need to snap out of it!” Ingrid ordered, pushing back, he boots digging into the dirt.  
“If you refuse to fight, than you may die!” he ordered, pushing harder.  
“Ingrid!” Felix shouted, his wooden sword at the ready.  
The Death Knight nearly broke through Ingrid’s lance, but Ingrid slipped passed the scythe. Ingrid’s crest activated, and she swung downward at full force, knocking the scythe out of the Death Knight’s hands. The Death Knight pulled out his silver sword, and swung at Ingrid, pushing her back.   
“Come back?!” Ingrid asked, lunging at him. “We can help you!”  
“There’s nothing you can do!” The Death Knight argued, swinging his sword in response.  
“You can’t be sure about that!” Ingrid argued, changing her lung into a spin of her lance, colliding with the dull part of his blade.  
“Yes, I am!” the Death Knight shrieked, dropping his sword, and breaking Ingrid’s lance in two with a single punch, then punching Ingrid herself.  
“Witness our resolve!” Ingrid stated, pushing herself against the Death Knight, pushing back at full force.  
“Your resolve is nothing,” the Death Knight stated, picking up his sword and raising it to strike her down from behind. “I must indulge myself in your blood!”  
“That’s enough!” Felix shouted, knocking the silver sword out of his hands, breaking his own wooden sword, then shoving against the Death Knight with Ingrid. “You’ve underestimated your opponents!”  
“Please Emile, even if it can’t be forever, come back to us, come back to Mercedes!” Ingrid called out, gritting her teeth as they gained ground against the Death Knight.  
“I can’t do that yet, if I lose control, I could hurt her, like I’m trying to hurt you!” the Death Knight pleaded, stumbling back.  
“Everything will be fine, because we’ll be there for her and for you if you need us!” Ingrid urged, as she and Felix began pushing him back. “So please, come back to her!”  
They pushed the Death Knight back, knocking him off his feet, and crashing him into the back of a tree. The tree fell over backwards, the Death Knight laying on it like a bed.   
The moonlight shined down onto him, the red in his eyes engulfed by the color blue. Ingrid and Felix stared at him as he lay, they looked at each other and gave a nod.   
Ingrid carefully walked forward, and placed her hands on his helmet. She took it off, revealing the face of Emile, tears welling up in his eyes.  
“I’m sorry,” Emile apologized, looking away. “I know this is hard for Mercedes, just as it is hard for me, but it can be so..., so hard that I just don’t know what to do. I just think everything might be better if I disappeared, but I can’t disappear, because than Mercedes would only be more sad,”  
“Don’t worry,” Ingrid comforted, kneeling down and grabbing Emile’s hands, the moonlight reflecting off of her skin, making her appear almost angelic. “Once we rescue Flayn and return to Galatea territory, Mercedes, Ignatz, and I will do everything we can to help you, I swear on my honor as a knight,”  
“Hmph,” Emile replied, looking at Ingrid with a weak smile. “I see why Mercedes has taken such a liking to you,”  
“Now come on,” Ingrid urged, standing up. “Mercedes should have sweets when we get back,”  
“I’ll be a second,” Emile excused, standing up. “This armor makes it difficult to share a horse,”  
“We don’t have to rush, it would be a pain to return for it,” Felix stated, turning to Emile, eyes narrowed.  
“I won’t be entering Derdriu anyway, I’ll have time to come back for it later,” Emile excused, taking off his gauntlets.

………

Mercedes had finished up making her dish, Sweet Bun Trio. Dorothea, carrying a basket, approached her, having made Sweet Bun Trio herself, though the buns were a little, very dark.  
“Hello Mercedes, it seems we’ve made the same meal, how embarrassing,” Dorothea greeted, gesturing her hand over her face dramatically.  
“Dorothea, you don’t need to hide your insecurities from me,” Mercedes stated, gesturing towards Dorothea, smiling with her eyes closed.  
“Insecure, me?” Dorothea asked, raising both her hands together. “I was simply making my meal more easily comparable to yours from this morning, a good tactical move I believe. I’m more interested that you tried to make the same dish a second time?”  
“Repetition is the key to mastery,” Mercedes stated, laughing into her hand.  
“I see, well, I’m glad you decided to make Sweet Bun Trio again, now I can have mine compared to yours directly,” Dorothea stated, crossing her arms.  
“I don’t think I’d have it any other way,” Mercedes added, placing her hands together in front of her, tension firing on all cylinders between her and Dorothea.  
“Where do you think they are right now anyways?” Dorothea asked, looking off in the distance.  
“I was thinking the same thing, they should’ve been back by now,” Mercedes agreed, looking off in the distance.  
“Well, I thought about it first,” Dorothea remarked, glancing at Mercedes.  
“But I thought about it better,” Mercedes shot back, glancing at Dorothea.  
“But I just perfected it,” Dorothea shot, turning to Mercedes.  
“And how did you do that exactly?” Mercedes asked, turning to Dorothea.  
“Do you think I’ll give you the opportunity to gain any ground?” Dorothea asked, leaning forward.  
“But you just did,” Mercedes stated, leaning forward.  
“I’m assuming you won’t tell me how, right?” Dorothea asked, placing her forehead against Mercedes’s.  
“I could, but I’m having trouble understanding why you want to know so badly?” Mercedes asked, pressing her forehead harder against Dorothea’s.  
They heard the sound of galloping in the distance. Their eyes widened and they backed away, turning their backs to each other, glancing at the other antagonistically.  
“Mercedes!” Emile called out.  
Mercedes turned around to see Felix and Ingrid riding back with Emile sharing Ingrid’s horse. Mercedes gasped, placing her hands over her mouth, tears flowing from her eyes.  
“Emile!” She called out, running over to him and Ingrid, throwing her arms around both of them. “Welcome back!”  
“It’s good to be back,” Emile stated, a smile on his face.  
“Thank you Ingri,” Mercedes thanked, turning to Ingrid.  
“You’re welcome,” Ingrid replied, looking down, blushing. “Mercie,”  
“I’m guessing the competition is off?” Dorothea asked, walking over to Felix with her basket of Sweet Buns, a smile on her face as she looked at the display of Mercedes, Ingrid, and Emile.  
“Probably, it was a stupid idea anyway,” Felix stated, grabbing one of Dorothea’s Sweet Buns and chewing on it. “It would’ve been a tie anyways, this is quite bitter,”  
“A tie?” Dorothea asked, turning to Felix with widened eyes.  
“I like bitter,” Felix added, looking the other way.  
“Oh Felix!” Dorothea exclaimed, grabbing onto him.  
“Hey, get off of me!” Felix exclaimed, looking a little embarrassed.  
Their excitement ended up waking everyone else up. They weren’t too mad though, as Mercedes had made extra for them to enjoy themselves with. They laughed and cried the rest of the night, it seemed they wouldn’t be making it to Derdriu in the morning.

………

Dimitri arrived at Garreg Mach Monastery, with Dedue in tow. Byleth approached him, with Alois at their side, both dressed in fancy robes. With smiles, they bowed to Dimitri.  
“Welcome King Dimitri, I hope your travels went well,” Byleth welcomed.  
“Now, now, Professor, there’s no need for such ceremony, we’re old friends after all,” Dimitri responded, giving Byleth a pat on their shoulder.  
“Very well,” Byleth responded before gesturing for them to pass. “We should be off to the meeting room then,”  
They climbed the stairs to the room where Rhea used to give them orders and such. A table had been placed there with the image of the head of a lion and the head of an eagle connected via their necks was carved into it.   
Sitting at the side of the eagle was Edelgard, with Hubert just behind her. Further behind Edelgard, Lysithea sat with Lindhart at her side.   
Lysithea was focused and determined, whereas Lindhart was asleep. Edelgard stood up and walked over to Dimitri.  
“King Dimitri, it’s an honor to be meeting with you again,” Edelgard greeted, reaching out her hand for Dimitri to shake.  
“Indeed Emperor Edelgard, though it concerns me that this meeting was called so abruptly,” Dimitri responded, shaking Edelgard’s hand.  
They both took their seats, their vassals standing behind them. Dedue shot Hubert with a glare, which Hubert responded to with a smirk.   
Both Byleth and Alois walked passed them, blocking their vision, and giving them both stern looks. Byleth took their position, standing where Rhea once did, with Alois standing behind them.  
“The Fodlan Coalition meeting of King Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd of the Kingdom of Faerghus and Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg of the Adrestian Empire will commence!” Byleth announced. “Since Emperor Edelgard is the one who called this meeting, she may begin!”  
“I have concerns over the border as of late-,” Edelgard began, a serious look on her face.  
“What do you mean by that?” Dimitri asked, leaning forward, eyes narrow.  
“Just as I said, there are growing concerns with the border. It’s been unusually quiet on our side,” Edelgard respondent, maintaining her composure.  
“Is that not a good thing?” Dimitri asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“Normally that would be true, but not only have we not had any trouble recently, but we’ve been unable to reach Queen Petra Macneary or her husband,” Edelgard explained with a nod.  
“What!?” Dimitri exclaimed, standing up. “Is Ashe okay-!”  
“Dimitri,” Byleth commanded, looking to him with narrowed eyes.  
“Apologies, I lost sight of where I was,” Dimitri apologized, sitting down.  
“No need, it is quite concerning. Hubert is trying to look into it as we speak, but the people of Brigid have been hiding any and all information. We’re attempting to investigate Morfis and Dagda as well, but it’s been very tricky,” Edelgard continued, placing both her hands together on the table.  
“I assume you wish to know about the current border situation in the Kingdom of Faerghus?” Dimtri asked, at the edge of his seat, his hands placed on the table.  
“That is part of it, yes we would like to be better informed, but there is more to this,” Edelgard explained, looking down before looking in Dimitri’s direction with eyes like an eagle. “The other day, Felix Frauldarious appeared outside Enbarr. He was looking for Dorothea, wanting to protect her on the request of one of your lords, Lady Ingrid Galatea,”  
“That’s rather suspicious, but with someone as famous as Dorothea, there’s bound to be trouble,” Dimitri stated, an eyebrow raised.  
“Normally yes, but to make sure, Hubert had Felix followed, since his sudden appearance was rather new,” Edelgard continued. “There were other odd occurrences that we took note of along with that. Shortly after, we received reports that Ignatz Victor, a close ally of Lady Galatea, had visited Lady Varley, and that they left, heading in the direction of Galatea territory on the same day Felix visited Enbarr. Lady Varley had also sent a message to House Nuvel, who sent their own message, though that one we were unable to trace. House Nuvel left in the direction Galatea territory afterwards,”  
“I was unaware of this, I will get to the bottom of this as soon as I can,” Dimitri conceded, shock in his eyes. “How is this related to the border exactly?”  
“There’s more,” Edelgard continued, tightening her gloves, and glancing at Hubert. “We apologize, but we had our spies look into what little we could gauge from Faerghus,”  
“You what?!” Dimitri exclaimed, standing up. “You sent spies into Faerghus territory without our consent. This is a massive breach of security-!”  
“Dimitri!” Byleth shouted, slamming their hand onto the table to silence him before resuming the proper stance. “While unknowingly, the Kingdom of Faerghus has breached the security of the Empire as well, neither party will give or receive compensation, understood?”  
“Understood,” Edelgard and Dimitri both responded with a nod, glaring at each other.  
“You may continue, Edelgard,” Byleth allowed, looking to Edelgard with a nod.  
“Thank you my teacher,” Edelgard thanked, reciprocating said nod. “We attempted to gain a view of Galatea territory, but Yuri’s agents had prevented us from getting a clear view. What we were able gauge was that there was a battle in Galatea territory recently,”  
“Was anyone hurt?” Dimitri asked, a bit of sweat on his face.  
“There was a lot of damage, and many were injured and killed, but we don’t know all the details. Not only did Yuri keep us from getting a clear view, any of the spies we sent to track the attackers vanished without a trace. At most, we know it was bandits, but whoever organized this is unknown. One thing we were able to notice was that Lord Gautier had brought many soldiers there to help with clean up for this battle,” Edelgard continued.   
“That would make sense, he, Ingrid, Felix, and I have been friends since childhood afterall, but even then, his decision to leave his post is concerning,” Dimitri agreed, placing his hands together on the table.  
“My thoughts exactly,” Edelgard added, a confident smile on her face. “After Lord Gautier returned, he had seemed to greatly increase defenses from Sreng, even though there was no known precedent for such a move. Meanwhile, back in Galatea Territory, thanks to Yuri decreasing security around the territory, we were able to see that Lady Galatea, Lady Varley, and their vassals, had all vanished, leaving only the Ashen Wolves and Count Galatea to watch over things, and they’re hard at work, like they’re preparing for war,”  
“I see, Emperor Edelgard, this is very concerning indeed,” Dimitri stated, standing up and bowing to them, as well as Lysithea nd Lindhart. “If you excuse me, I need to look into these occurrences as soon as possible,”  
“Dimitri,” Byleth exclaimed, following after Dimitri as he rushed out of the room.  
“It’s responsible for someone of his stature to leave in the middle of a meeting,” Lysithea exclaimed, her eyes pointed in Dimitri’s direction with annoyance.  
“That’s true Lysithea, but some people can be rather impulsive, keep in mind of those people when you’re Emperor,” Edelgard stated, turning to Lysithea with a confident smile.  
“Huh,” Lindhart yawned, waking up from his nap. “Is it time to return to the honeymoon?”

To Be Continued….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did I write this? I asked myself that question every time after I came up with the cook-off, but it seemed like the natural progression of things, so I just tried to work with it, despite how it was a stupid idea, as acknowledged by Felix.   
> I think the chapter turned out pretty good overall, even though I wasn't too sure about the scene where Dorothea and Mercedes hold Ingrid, but it just kind of felt like it was in character for Dorothea, and to a certain extent Mercedes.  
> I was a little confused about this chapter, I had at one point wanted the chapter to be darker or to be about Dimitri traveling around, talking to people, but I decided to cut down on the darker ideas, because of how the plot naturally progressed in my brain, and thought Dimitri's plot would work as a sub-plot of sorts.   
> This one did go a little long, but I think everything worked out in the end.  
> Thank you for reading, I'll see you next time.


	11. Lamp of Derdriu part I: Lorenz Hellman Gloucester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ingrid prepares for her inevitable meeting with Lorenz Hellman Gloucester

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains some obvious Bernagrid or Bernadetta/Ingrid.

Outside the city, Seteth sat Ingrid down in a secluded part of the forest. He sat down himself, criss-cross, as opposed to Ingrid kneeling down.  
“Are you ready for what awaits Ingrid?” Seteth asked, a concerned look on his face.  
“To tell you the truth, I’m not quite sure what awaits me,” Ingrid explained, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head.  
“Whether he’s an ally or not, Lorenz is still a politician, you’ll have to negotiate passage to Almyra,” Seteth explained, his arm crossed. “I can’t go in either, as it would cause a lot of trouble, same with the Death Knight,”  
“Oh, I see,” Ingrid responded, looking down nervously. “Of course, I’ll be representing us then, since I’m the only noble here other than Bernadetta,”  
“That is correct,” Seteth acknowledged, giving a nod.  
“What would you ask of me then?” Ingrid asked, gesturing towards Seteth.  
“What did your Father teach you before your coronation?” Seteth asked, gesturing towards Ingrid.  
“Understanding your opponent for one thing,” Ingrid stated, raising a finger.  
“With that in mind, you should defer to those who might know Lorenz,” Seteth explained. “Anything else?”  
“Learning to ‘read the room’ was something Father very much emphasized,” Ingrid answered, crossing her arms and nodding.  
“That’ll…. be something to work on,” Seteth stated, looking down solemnly.  
“Am I really that bad?” Ingrid asked, placing her hands together depressingly.  
“Don’t worry, you should have enough information to have a decent understanding of Lorenz, but you should work on this for the future,” Seteth appeased, raising a hand. “Was there anything else?”  
“Be wary about what information you give and who you give it to,” Ingrid stated, giving a nod.  
“Do you know what that means?” Seteth asked, placing his hand as if he were trying to place his hands together.  
“I should keep secrets and lie when necessary,” Ingrid answered, an uncomfortable look on her face.  
“That will be difficult, won’t it?” Seteth asked, placing his hand on his lap, and leaning forward. “I’ve never known you to be a liar, but this is an occasion where you have to bend the truth, we can’t have word getting out that the enemy has Flayn or who the enemy is. If you can’t lie, bend the truth, we can’t fail here,”  
“I’ll do my best,” Ingrid stated, giving an uncomfortable nod. “Is there anything else?”  
“Yes, something very important is to respect your opponent, if you stoop to insults, or lose your cool, you could ruin everything in an instant,” Seteth stated, snapping his fingers. “Luckily, this is a case that shouldn’t be too difficult, just keep it in mind,”  
“I’ll do my best,” Ingrid repeated, her fists tightening.  
“Good,” Seteth stated, a proud smile on his face. “With that in mind, you have work to do,”  
“As is my duty,” Ingrid stated, giving a serious nod before standing up.

………

Ingrid first approached Ignatz and Raphael, knowing their history with Lorenz. Raphael was taking the kitchen off of his back while Ignatz did inventory.  
“Ignatz, Raphael,” Ingrid greeted, awkwardly placing her hands behind her back.  
“What is it Ingrid?” Ignatz asked, looking towards Ingrid, smiling, and adjusting his glasses.  
“What’s happening?!” Raphael boomed, making a joyous fist.  
“I was hoping to ask you about Lorenz actually,” Ingrid stated, stepping forward, her eyes narrowed.  
“Oh! Lorenz!?” Raphael stated, sitting down, eyes widened. “He and I used to talk over a good meal together! I showed him how to learn about others by sitting down to eat with them,”  
“He would often ask for my assistance with various tasks like picking a proper tea pot, so I don’t know if I can help as much,” Ignatz stated, sitting down, scratching the back of his head.  
“Well,” Ingrid added, kneeling down, and taking a breath. “Could you possibly tell me more about him?”  
“We’ll try our best,” Ignatz stated, looking a little nervous.  
“Lorenz was a pretty ambitious guy, he always talked about how the Alliance was on his shoulders, and about the importance of nobility!” Raphael explained, placing his hand on his head.  
“He was really confident in himself,” Ignatz added, crossing his arms. “But he actually did seem to have put more thought into his goals than I first thought,”  
“He was pretty suspicious of Claude!” Raphael announced, a smile on his face. “I’m not exactly sure why, but he almost seemed like he was stalking him sometimes!”  
“Is there anything else?” Ingrid asked, looking around to both of them.  
“He was pretty flashy with just about everything you can imagine!” Raphael laughed, looking up towards the sky.  
“The rest is mostly small things, I know Mercedes and Dorothea probably know more about him,” Ignatz stated, scratching his chin with embarrassment. “He had a tendency to be a bit of a womanizer,”  
“I see,” Ingrid acknowledged, narrowing her eyes in annoyance.  
“Of course he’s married now, so that part of his life is over,” Ignatz excused, raising both hands defensively.  
“Thank you for telling me what you know,” Ingrid thanked, bowing to them before standing up and turning to Ignatz. “Oh, Ignatz,”  
“What do you need Ingrid?” Ignatz asked, standing up with Raphael.  
“Could you tell Lorenz that we’ll be coming?” Ingrid asked, reaching her hand out for Ignatz.  
“Of course,” Ignatz answered, shaking her hand. “I’d be glad to do it,”

………

Ingrid found Mercedes and Dorothea bickering in private, though as soon as Ingrid appeared, they stood five feet from each other, hands behind their backs, looking rather embarrassed. Ingrid looked confused, but shrugged.  
“Mercie, Dorothea,” Ingrid stated, gesturing towards them.  
“What is it Ingri(d)?” they both asked, smiling at Ingrid, then glancing at each other in annoyance.  
“I was wondering if you could tell me anything you know about Lorenz?” Ingrid asked, gesturing towards them.  
“Lorenz….well-?” Dorothea thought, placing her finger on her chin and looking up.  
“He should die,” Mercedes stated, her eyes closed, a smile on her face.  
“Merc(ie/edes),” Ingrid and Dorothea exclaimed, shock on their faces.  
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting you to mention the L word,” Mercedes apologized, blushing with her hand on her cheek.  
“Mercedes, I know Lorenz is incredibly flawed, but he’s not the worst,” Dorothea excused, turning to Mercedes, an awkward look on her face.  
“Dorothea, I thought you hated nobles?” Mercedes asked sarcastically, her eyes narrowed.  
“I don’t dislike all nobles, Ferdi was able to enter my good graces, and Lorenz, while his refusal to marry a commoner is a little silly, it is based on his desire to better his own house,” Dorothea explained, her face completely red.  
“Because marrying a commoner would ruin his reputation,” Mercedes argued, a scowl seeping into her face.  
“It’s not that simple, you should know that there are more complicated parts involved,” Dorothea argued, beginning to scowl herself.  
“I assume he told you that himself?!” Mercedes asked, her eyes narrowed. “Do you know what he told me, he said if he wasn’t a noble, he would’ve had his way with me!”  
“Okay, that I know you made up!” Dorothea accused, pointing at Mercedes.  
“Mercedes, Dorothea,” Ingrid stated, scowling at them like she was possessed by a demon  
Mercedes and Dorothea both froze, realizing they may have gotten out of hand. Dorothea was the most embarrassed, despite how Ingrid’s scowl was more directed at Mercedes than her. Mercedes kept her cool, but couldn’t hide the bit of sweat on her face.  
“Thank you for your perspectives on the matter,” Ingrid stated, maintaining her glare. “Mercedes,”  
“Yes Ingrid,” Mercedes replied, maintaining eye contact, her face slightly embarrassed.  
“I think you and I should talk later once I’m done speaking with Lorenz,” Ingrid suggested, returning to her calm demeanor. “I would like to talk to hear more when it’s appropriate,”  
“I think that would be a better time,” Mercedes added, her face turning more than a little red. “I believe I may have stepped out of line at a bad time,”  
“Dorothea,” Ingrid called out, looking towards Dorothea.  
“Yes Ingrid,” Dorothea answered nervously, holding part of her dress.  
“Could you keep an eye on Felix?” Ingrid asked, glancing off to the side. “This is a critical time, and it would mean a lot to me if you kept an eye on him?”  
“I’ve got you covered,” Dorothea responded excitedly, making two fists of determination. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid,”  
“Thank you,” Ingrid thanked with a bow. “If you excuse me, I need to talk to Bernadetta before we enter Derdriu,”

………

Bennie sped through the air just above the trees, Bernadetta leaning forward on his back, she looked determined, but was likewise, blushing, as Ingrid sat with her, her arms wrapped around her. Ingrid had undone her hair, and let it flow in the wind.  
“Your slightly off balance!” Ingrid advised, repositioning Bernadetta’s waist. “With this, you should be less likely to fall off of the wyvern at this speed,”  
“Thanks!” Bernadetta acknowledged, nodding, with her face completely red. “Bernie’s glad that you agreed to help her!”  
“No, thank you!” Ingrid replied, shaking her head. “It’s been a while since I’ve been able to enjoy flying through the air!”  
“What about when you were on a wyvern the other day?!” Bernadetta asked, her face slightly confused.  
“That was for a mission, I didn’t have time to savor it!” Ingrid explained, raising her head into the air, her eyes closed.  
After riding for another minute, they landed back on the ground. Bernadetta tied Benny to a tree, and then helped Ingrid redo her hair.  
“Bernadetta,” Ingrid called out, smiling, her hands on her knees as she sat.  
“Y-yes Ingrid?” Bernadetta replied with a little bit of surprise.  
“When we go into Derdriu, you and I will be representing the group,” Ingrid explained calmly.  
“Wha-?!” Bernadetta exclaimed, messing up Ingrid’s hair. “So Bernie will have to speak with Lorenz!?”  
“Is everything okay?” Ingrid asked, placing her hands on Bernadetta’s wrists, and looking back at her.  
“It-it’s just that I get nervous around Lorenz!” bernadetta exclaimed, looking down. “When I was being kept in Derdriu, he had eyes on me at all times, I know he meant well, but it was really nerve racking!”  
“Well, don’t worry,” Ingrid urged, turning around and holding Bernadetta’s hands. “This time you’ll be there as a guest,”  
“That’s true,” Bernadetta sighed, before holding Ingrid’s hands tightly. “Just remember to keep your guard up around him,”  
“Thank you Bernadetta,” Ingrid agreed, nodding.  
“Ingrid!” Ignatz called out, running towards them.  
“Ignatz, your back!” Ingrid called back, turning to him with a happy smile.  
“Lorenz received the message and should be ready for us anytime now!” Ignatz explained, breathing heavily.  
“Thank you Ignatz,” Ingrid thanked, bowing to him, and then standing up.  
“Oh!” Bernadetta exclaimed, placing her hands on her mouth. “Ingrid, your hair!”  
“Oh,” Ingrid exclaimed, blushing at the realization, then sitting down. “We’re a little short for time, just clean it up a little, and put it in a small ponytail,”  
“I should probably go tell the others,” Ignatz announced, his face completely red as he tried not to look at Ingrid’s freed hair.  
“Th-thank you,” Ingrid and Bernadetta acknowledged, nodding at him awkwardly.

………

Everyone, except Seteth and Emile, stood outside of Derdriu. Ingrid and Bernadetta were in the front, with Raphael, Ignatz, and Mercedes behind them.  
Behind those three stood Dorothea and Felix. Mercedes, looking a little nervous, glanced at Ingrid.  
“Are you ready Ingri?” she asked.  
“Don’t worry Mercie, I should have this,” Ingrid assured with a nod. “Are you going to be okay?”  
“Ignatz will make sure I don’t embarrass you,” Mercedes stated, looking down.  
“Mercie, it’s not-,” Ingrid tried to explain herself, looking a little sad.  
“Don’t worry,” Ignatz stated, placing a hand on Ingrid’s shoulder. “I’ll talk to her, just focus on the task at hand,”  
“Thank you Ignatz,” Ingrid agreed, turning her attention to the gates.  
“Are you doing okay?” Raphael asked, holding Bernadetta’s hand.  
“I-I’ll try my best,” Bernadetta assured nervously. “Besides, I’ll have Ingrid,”  
“We’re sorry about anything that might happen,” Ignatz and Raphael apologized, looking down.  
“What do you mean?” Ingrid and Bernadetta asked, turning towards them.  
A parade burst through the gates, streamers, fireworks, magic, citizens, all of it, flying everywhere. Ingrid and Bernadetta, looking very shocked, immediately started holding hands for support.  
The parade spread out, making room for a boxed carriage, driven by a tall man with a long beard. The man stood up, and read off of a scroll.  
“Welcome, Ingrid Brandl Galatea and Bernadetta von Varley!” He announced with a fake accent. “I present to you, the esteemed overseer of former Alliance territory, ruler of Derdriu as well as Gloucester territory, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester!”  
Lorenz ripped his disguise off, revealing himself as the driver of the carriage, posing dramatically. Ingrid, Mercedes, and Bernadetta stared dumbfounded, their mouths gaping open.  
Ignatz looked rather embarrassed, looking down, while Raphael smiled like he was having fun. Dorothea glanced at Felix, who looked fairly irritated at the show before them.  
“What the fu-?” Felix asked, his mouth covered by Dorothea.  
Marianne and another carriage driver stepped outside of the carriage, with the driver taking his place. Marianne turned to Ingrid and company, bowing apologetically. She wrapped her arm around Lorenz’s and they approached.  
Ingrid and Bernadetta approached likewise, the two pairs meeting in the middle. They bowed to each other, Ingrid to Lorenz, Marianne to Bernadetta, and vise versa.  
“I’m sorry about the show,” Lorenz apologized, placing his hand on his forehead dramatically. “This is the best I could do on short notice, I didn’t mean for it to be so...messy,”  
“No, we should apologize,” Ingrid denied, shaking her head. “We shouldn’t have given such short notice,”  
“It’s okay,” Marianne giggled, a smile on her face. “If we had been aware earlier, I would’ve gotten Lorenz to do more than just toned down, so it’s nice for him to enjoy these things,”  
“Toned down!” Bernadetta mouthed, tightening her grip on Ingrid’s hand.  
“Yo-you have a beautiful wife,” Ingrid complimented, glancing at Marianne than looking towards Lorenz.  
“As do you,” Lorenz reciprocated, looking down at Ingrid and Bernadetta’s held hands.  
“Huh!?” Ingrid and Bernadetta exclaimed, shock and embarrassment on their faces.  
“You two are married, are you not?” Lorenz explained, gesturing towards them. “There’s no better reason to come to Derdriu than for your honeymoon of course,”  
“Lorenz,” Marianne called out, whispering into his ear. “Bernadetta is already married to Raphael, remember?”  
“Well of course I do, my darling,” Lorenz answered, looking towards her, whispering. “But since the Church of Seiros has significantly less power than before, some nobles have taken advantage of that fact to gain multiple spouses for more political gain,”  
“Oh my,” Marianne exclaimed, placing her hand over her mouth and glancing at Bernadetta and Ingrid, her face turning red.  
“No-no, there’s been a misunderstanding!” Bernadetta exclaimed, shaking her head rapidly.  
“She’s...she’s right!” Ingrid insisted, looking to the side, an awkward look on her face. “We’re…. actually hoping to spend our honeymoon in Almyra, and needed to gain passage there,”  
“Almyra?” Lorenz questioned, his eyes narrowed.  
Bernadetta looked to Ingrid, frustration and shock on her face. Ingrid looked back at her, doing likewise.  
“What are you doing?” Bernadetta’s face asked.  
“I’m not a very good liar, just play along with it,” Ingrid’s face insisted.  
“This is embarrassing for Bernie, I’m already married!” Bernadetta’s face exclaimed.  
“Please, we have to lead him on for now, I wouldn’t have come up with something like this if Lorenz wasn’t Lorenz,” Ingrid’s face pleaded.  
“Fine, but you’ll have to explain this to the others later,” Bernadetta’s face stated.  
“Thank you,” Ingrid’s face thanked.  
“Your welcome!” Bernadetta’s face agreed.  
Bernadetta wrapped her arms around Ingrid, pressed against her, and kissed her, mouth to mouth, nose to nose. Everyone else’s eyes widened at this sight.  
“What the fu-!” Ignatz and Mercedes asked, placing their hands over each other’s mouths.  
“Well then,” Dorothea commented, her hand on her chin, a smile on her face.  
“That’s our Bernadetta!” Raphael laughed, looking like he somehow knew what was going on.  
“What is wrong with you people?’ Felix asked, hunched over, his face looking exhausted.  
Bernadetta and Ingrid separated, Ingrid looking shocked, and a little embarrassed, staring at Bernadetta. Lorenz coughed into his fist, turning their attention back to him.  
“It seems your keeping something from me,” Lorenz announced.  
“It was that obvious was it?” Ingrid sighed, looking down.  
“Of course, it’s obvious you’re not ready for your honeymoon,” Lorenz stated, a serious look on his face. “You obviously want me to plan your wedding,”  
“Huh?” Ingrid questioned, her eyes getting wider to the point of popping out of her head.  
“Naturally,” Bernadetta agreed, her face welling up with embarrassment.  
“Not including whatever business you have in Almyra of course,” Lorenz remarked, his eyes narrowed, a smile on his face.  
“Indeed, we would like to discuss gaining passage when we’ve reached your castle,” Ingrid stated, taking a deep breath.  
“Indeed,” Lorenz stated, gesturing towards them. “You’re friends may enjoy the city as much as they like, provided they don’t cause any trouble of course. You and your betrothed can enter the carriage when your ready. I hope we can have a nice chat,”  
The pairs separated, Ingrid and Bernadetta returning to the others, while Lorenz and Marianne returned to the carriage. Bernadetta looked at Ingrid, a sad look on her face.  
“I’m sorry for screwing things up,” Bernadetta apologized.  
“Don’t worry about it, he would’ve been onto us either way,” Ingrid assured, tightening her grip on Bernadetta’s hand.  
Ingrid glanced, back, looking in Lorenz’s direction. Of course Lorenz had done likewise, their eyes meeting, as two waves prepared to crash into each other.

To Be Continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was originally going to be a long chapter, but the set up portion was getting a bit too long, so I decided to stop at 10 pages, and make it more of a 2 part, with this one only being the set up. I actually rewrote this chapter once, it was originally going to start at the gate scene, but I decided that there needed to be some build up. 
> 
> I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner, but it all depends on how everything goes, thank you for reading


	12. Lamp of Derdriu part II: negotiations and the talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ingrid negotiates with Lorenz, and then she Bernadetta have the talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the Derdriu chapters might be a little slower, this is the best place to include more romantic, or more slice of life elements, since afterwards it won't be as easy. I'm still gonna keep it going, but things are going to slow down a little, not too much hopefully.
> 
> And yes, I changed my mind and decided Bernagrid/Ingrid x Bernadetta would be a thing. It always made sense in my mind, I just hadn't included it before because I hadn't been planning on it(I gotta give myself freedom after all, if I planned this out TOO much, it could get boring).

Ingrid and Bernadetta sat down in the carriage, opposite to Lorenz and Marianne. Lorenz had been sitting with his legs crossed, and eyes closed until Ingrid sat down.  
Lorenz’s eyes opened, a smile on his face. He then knocked on the wall of the carriage, signaling the driver to start.  
Ingrid glanced at Bernadetta, and vice versa. They were both tense, unsure of what the next move was.  
The carriage was rather comfortable, a ride fit for a king, but it was a bit too warm. Ingrid and Bernadetta were starting to sweat a little, the heat and anxiety beginning to get to them.  
A cool air countered the heat. Marianne had created some ice and some wind to cool things down.  
“Sorry about the heat,” Marianne apologized, smiling, looking down a little. “If we could, we would open a window,”  
“Why-?” Ingrid asked, leaning forward.  
Lorenz raised a finger, signaling for silence. Ingrid and Bernadetta looked at each other in confusion.  
Marianne looked down, a worried look on her face. Lorenz placed his hands on her shoulders, comforting her.  
A thump came from the outside of the carriage, followed shortly by another thumb. Silence, before another thumb came from outside the carriage.  
Ingrid’s eyes widened, rocks were occasionally being thrown at the carriage as it traveled through town. Lorenz, maintaining a hand on Marianne’s shoulder, turned to Ingrid and Bernadetta.  
“As you can see, I’m not the most popular of rulers here,” Lorenz explained, his eyes narrowed. “It’s only been two years since the war ended, and people still remember that my family sided with the Empire at the time,”  
“It must be painful to know that not everyone accepts you,” Ingrid empathized, looking down, a sad look on her face.  
“Of course not,” Lorenz denied, shaking his head. “I’ve always split people by nature of my very existence. It bothers me more that Marianne is forced to deal with this as well,”  
“I’m partially to blame for this as well,” Marianne apologized, bowing to Ingrid and Bernadetta.  
“Nonsense my dear, if anything, your presence is the only thing that’s kept them from running me out of town,” Lorenz assured, holding her hands, and smiling.  
“If I had known things would be like this, it may have been better to drop by unexpectedly,” Ingrid apologized, bowing to them.  
“D-don’t feel bad Ingrid,” Bernadetta assured, squeezing Ingrid’s hand with both of hers.  
“She’s right,” Lorenz agreed, giving a nod. “If you hadn’t sent word ahead of time, we wouldn’t have gotten to see Ignatz or have thrown a parade,”  
“That’s right,” Marianne added, returning to her warm smile. “We have had little time to see him since the war ended,”  
“Lady Galatea, I must know, how did you snag him so easily whereas I had tried to employ him for years?” Lorenz asked, gesturing towards her.  
“It’s odd really,” Ingrid stated, placing her hand on her cheek. “I didn’t do that much actually. Once the war ended, he and Mercedes both insisted that they stay by my side,”  
“Bernie had said something similar to Raphael when the war ended,” Bernadetta admitted, crouching down, her hands on her reddening face.  
“Hm,” Marianne giggled into her hand. “I remember the wedding, you were so very lively,”  
“Ah!” Bernadetta exclaimed, her hands tightening on her face. “Don’t remind me of that!”  
“It was a shame I was unable to go to it myself,” Lorenz lamented, closing his eyes. “With former Alliance territory still in chaos, I had a lot of work to do,”  
“Ignatz was really nervous, and ended up missing the ceremony. It didn’t help that he insisted on helping me and my Father,” Ingrid admitted, scratching the back of her head embarrassingly. “We told him that Mercedes and the Death Knight would be enough, but he insisted on helping with last minute work,”  
“That’s another thing,” Lorenz commented, raising an eyebrow. “How did you get Mercedes to follow you?”  
“There really isn’t much of an explanation really,” Ingrid explained, scratching her chin. “She approached me at the officer’s academy, and we’ve been close friends ever since,”  
“How odd,” Lorenz commented, his eyes narrowed. “She’d always been cold towards me,”  
“It’s...it’s complicated,” Ingrid tried to explain, a bit of sweat on her face.  
“Well either way, considering you’ve gotten so many people to follow you from even the Empire, that really says something about how many people believe in you,” Lorenz complimented, a bright smile on his face.  
“It seems I have,” Ingrid answered, looking over at Bernadetta with a warm smile.  
Bernadetta looked up at Ingrid, she started to get anxious, thinking about how she dropped everything just to help Ingrid. Ingrid squeezed Bernadetta’s hands, helping her calm down a little.  
There was a heartbeat, Bernadetta could feel Ingrid’s heartbeat. Her eyes widened, and like a bird, she gave Ingrid a peck on the lips.  
“Did the number of rocks increase,” Lorenz commented, hearing the increased thumping sound.  
“Bernadetta…,” Ingrid stated, her face in awe, hearing Bernadetta’s heartbeat with her own.  
“Um…, I-,” Bernadetta tried to explain, her face so red it was practically bleeding.  
“Well then,” Lorenz interrupted, getting ready to stand up. “It seems we’ve arrived,”  
“Huh, but the carriage hasn’t even stopped yet-?” Ingrid questioned, turning her attention to Lorenz.  
The carriage stopped with a thud. Lorenz got out, followed by Marianne, who looked to Ingrid and Bernadetta and bowed.  
Ingrid and Bernadetta looked at each other, slightly puzzled by the sudden stop, before getting out themselves. Outside the carriage was an extravagant castle, engraved with carvings of flowers, bearing the crest of Gloucester on the front, and a statue of Lorenz posing on the very top, overlooking the city like a watchful guardian.  
There was a pointed, iron fence around the castle, with the only way in being a massive iron door in the front. The iron door opened up, allowing the four of them to enter.  
A few rocks were thrown at them, but the many gloves of Lorenz’s staff grabbed them directly out of the air. This was the abode of Lorenz Hellman Gloucester!

……...

They entered a secluded room, with maroon red walls, a single dresser, an iron table, two comfortable, green couches with flower pattern cushions, and a single window above the table, on the ceiling, allowing for only a bit of light where it mattered most. Aside from the furniture, the rest of the room was dark, flat, almost like a box.  
“Ingrid, what kind of tea do you prefer?” Lorenz asked, shifting his gaze towards her.  
“Mint,” Ingrid asked, taking a deep breath.  
“An excellent choice,” Lorenz responded, giving a smile with closed eyes before turning towards Marianne and Bernadetta. “My dear, sweet Marianne, could you and Bernadetta get us some tea,”  
“Wait, why do I-!?” Bernadetta asked, confusion on her face.  
Bernadetta made eye contact with Ingrid to see a serious look in her eyes. Ingrid gave her a nod, and Bernadetta reciprocated.  
“We’ll be back soon,” Marianne parted, giving a bow and smile.  
Marianne and Bernadetta left, Bernadetta looking back towards Ingrid, a worried look on her face. Ingrid, taking notice of this, shot Bernadetta a smile to part with.  
After they left, Ingrid and Lorenz took their seats, looking directly at each other from opposite sides, the only thing between them was the table and the beam of light from the window. They both sat relatively straight, leaning forward just enough so that they wouldn’t hunch.  
They both had their hands together, Ingrid’s on her lap, and Lorenz’s in the air. Ingrid’s feet were shaking slightly, while Lorenz’s feet, like a ticking clock, tapped against the leg of the chair, tap...tap...tap.  
Ingrid swallowed some air, it was hot again, some sweat on her face. Lorenz narrowed his eyes.  
“Tell me Lady Galatea?” Lorenz asked like it was an order. “Why do you seek passage to Almyra?”  
Ingrid’s mind was frozen, she had nothing. What should she say?  
She couldn’t tell Lorenz about Flayn, that was out of the question, but lying was never her strong suit. She swallowed some air, her mind racing with the possible answers.  
“Might you be going there to visit Claude?” Lorenz asked, gesturing to her.  
“Y-yes,” Ingrid instinctively answered, tightening her fists. “It’s been a few years, so we thought it would be nice to see him,”  
“I see,” Lorenz commented, crossing his legs. “That can’t be it though, I recall that you and Claude not only never got along, but you were always yelling at him,”  
“I tend to yell at a lot of the people I care for,” Ingrid excused, nervously placing her hands together. “You remember Sylvain, right?”  
“I certainly do,” Lorenz commented, frowning like he was reminded of something terrible, before smiling jokingly. “He hit on your ‘sweet, sweet granny, your granny’,”  
“Ah, yes,” Ingrid commented, looking down, trying to keep herself composed. “Yo-you heard about that?”  
“Close, I was actually there at the time,” Lorenz commented, happy at the thought.  
Lorenz sharpened his eyes yet again, like a hawk ready to fly down. Ingrid noticed the incoming attack, but had no time to escape.  
“However, you haven’t been very close with Sylvain in recent years,” Lorenz accused, gripping his leg. “It seems your relationship has been troubled, has it not?”  
“Umm…, he sided with the Empire during the war, things would naturally be rather awkward between us,” Ingrid explained, swallowing some air to relax.  
“That’s true,” Lorenz agreed, giving a nod. “So your going to visit Claude doesn’t make a lot of sense, especially considering the Battle at Gronder Field,”  
“Well, that-,” Ingrid tried to explain, tension showing in her shoulders.  
“Furthermore,” Lorenz continued, placing his hand on his chin. “Part of the reason you’ve been able to maintain at least, something, with Sylvain is because you grew up together, whereas you have had little time with Claude outside of the year at the Officers Academy, wherein you were in different classes and only made contact on occasion,”  
Ingrid was trapped. Lorenz had worked her into a corner, leaving her with little to work with.  
The Claude explanation wouldn’t work, she had to think of something, to pull the conversation into her favor. She closed her eyes for what was actually a second, but for her, it felt like hours.  
She could feel her mind spinning, and her heart beating. She couldn’t lie, but she had to think of something.  
She opened her eyes, the color of the walls were as bright as the sun. She bowed down.  
“I’m sorry Lorenz,” she apologized.  
“For what,” Lorenz asked, his eyes narrowed, waiting to see what her next move was.  
“I wasn’t completely honest with you,” Ingrid explained, raising her head. “There’s a more important reason for us to visit Almyra,”  
“So…, it wasn’t to visit Claude?” Lorenz asked, his face maintaining it’s composure.  
“Well…, yes and no,” Ingrid explained, placing her hands together. “We were going to visit Claude while we were there, as he’s good friends with Ignatz and Raphael, but that’s only a detour,”  
“I see, that makes a lot of sense,” Lorenz laughed, a smile on his face. “however I can’t allow passage of a group like yours without more reason, so what is missing from this puzzle?”  
“Well,” Ingrid started, placing her hands on her knees and looking down. “We need to retrieve some valuables that were stolen,”  
“Could we not message Claude and have him deal with it?” Lorenz asked, gesturing towards her, his eyebrow raised.  
“That’s a thought,” Ingrid complied, raising her head, and nodding. “These items are too important however, and it’s not that we don’t trust Claude...,”  
“It’s that you don’t trust the people around him,” Lorenz added, nodding in agreement. “That’s reasonable, but I think there would be much simpler methods to get your items returned, and while Claude isn’t yours truly, he does have enough skill to keep things in line. I cannot let you go there for a reason such as this alone,”  
Ingrid had started to calm down, she was starting to get around this, but she had yet to climb the wall before her. Ingrid blinked, there was no breeze to keep her from scaling the rest of the wall, all she needed was to focus.  
“Oh,” Ingrid exclaimed, raising a hand. “The items aren’t mine, they belong to an ally,”  
“I see,” Lorenz commented, crossing his arms. “Who is this ally?”  
“I’m afraid I can’t answer,” Ingrid stated, feeling the thin ice beneath her.  
“What exactly are these items?” Lorenz asked, looking Ingrid in the eyes, trying to read her mind.  
“I’m unable to answer that either,” Ingrid answered, wiping some of the sweat from her face.  
Lorenz sat in silence, a bit of sweat on his face. He was beginning to get a little annoyed with the lack of information.  
Ingrid was unlikely to give away anything about the person or the items involved. If he had to guess, Ingrid’s ally was working with her on a deal that could help in the assistance of rebuilding her territory, but why the secrecy?  
Even if it was a client confidentiality issue, she could at least tell him that she’d speak to the client beforehand. If it’s something that she can’t tell him directly under any circumstances, it had to be a big deal.  
It couldn’t be from another noble, or people such as the King or Emperor, as if they needed it to be secret, they would at the very least have a seal or letter to force his hand. Moreover, Ingrid would have normally sent word sooner if she were planning to head to Almyra.  
It’s almost as if this was a last minute decision. Something about this was very suspicious.  
“Ingrid,” Lorenz stated, placing his hands together and crossing his legs. “What is your opinion of King Dimitri, more specifically, what is your opinion of him as a ruler?”  
Ingrid felt her mind start to spin again. Lorenz had caught her off guard with the question.  
Why this question? How was it relevant to the topic at hand?  
“I can’t say I’ve thought much about that,” Ingrid admitted, placing her hands together, and narrowing her eyes. “What do you think of him?”  
“I think he is a good King, but a terrible politician,” Lorenz stated, shaking his head. “He knows how to lead people, but when it comes to gathering information or negotiations especially, he’s incompetitant at best,”  
“It seems you have a low opinion of him,” Ingrid stated, narrowing her eyes.  
“Sadly, that is the case,” Lorenz agreed, nodding with his eyes closed. “It’s hard to deny his issues given how the recent Coalition meeting went,”  
“What happened?” Ingrid asked, placing her hands together in worry.  
“Ah, yes, you were probably traveling at the time, weren’t you?” Lorenz assumed, his eyes widened. “I have yet to receive all the details considering how recent the event was, but from what I do understand, Edelgard called a meeting of the Coalition, wherein she seemed to know more about what was going on in Faerghus than even Dimitri, despite the fact that Dimitri is the King,”  
“Sounds like she put him in a corner,” Ingrid excused, closing her eyes, hiding her annoyance towards her friend, Edelgard, and Lorenz.  
“It seems she did,” Lorenz agreed, giving a nod. “However, as King, he should’ve been prepared. If I had the resources he did, I would use them to keep track of what’s going on in my Kingdom at all times,”  
“What is your intention?” Ingrid asked, leaning forward, eyes narrowed.  
“I’m simply complaining about the current situation,” Lorenz excused, shaking both his head and hand. “I have little to no influence in the Kingdom, and along with that, people in former Alliance territory continue to be split on me. But I would suggest that a new ruler would be the best course of action,”  
“That’s treason!” Ingrid accused, standing up.  
“Not necessarily,” Lorenz excused, signaling for her to sit down. “If the person has enough support from the people and the nobility, the King’s rule will dissolve naturally. Someone with a strong following, with connections and the knowledge to use them, someone even the King respects, and someone who has at the very least, a better grasp on politics,”  
“Lorenz,” Ingrid stated, her fists tightened. “I have not the time, power, influence, or interest in ruling Faerghus,”  
“Are you sure?” Lorenz asked, raising an eyebrow, and smirking a little bit. “Galatea Territory, while not in the best condition, would be the perfect spot to set up a capital for the new Faerghus, especially considering how close it is to the border-,”  
“Lorenz!” Ingrid tried to interrupt, her face becoming increasingly angry.  
“A desire to take power would especially explain why the items and ally are to remain anonymous at all costs,” Lorenz continued, unfazed by Ingrid’s outburst.  
“Stop!” Ingrid shouted, gritting her teeth.  
“Not to mention that you brought in allies from the Empire, and have allies of Claude’s on your side. I don’t think it would be too far-fetched to assume you might have something planned,” Lorenz accused, standing up dramatically.  
“Enough!” Ingrid shouted, shaking her head.  
She walked over next to Lorenz, her fists squeezed tightly. She knelt down, bowing to him on her hands and knees.  
Lorenz looked surprised. He wasn’t sure what to make of the display before him.  
“I assure you, I have no ill intentions in my mission, I am nothing but an honorable knight who wishes to serve her country,” Ingrid stated, shaking her head. “So please, allow us passage to Almyra, we need to get there, please,”  
The door bumped into the wall. Bernadetta and Mariane were standing there, Marianne holding the tea and snacks.  
Bernadetta stared at the scene before her, her eyes twitching. She rushed over to Ingrid, and held onto her worriedly.  
Bernadetta looked up at Lorenz. The color white engulfed the room, Bernadetta glaring at Lorenz with rage like an angry bear.  
“What were you doing to Ingrid?” Bernadetta asked, her eyes shrinking to black dots pointed towards Lorenz.  
Lorenz nearly tripped, taking a few steps back and bumping into the couch. Ingrid grabbed Bernadetta’s hand, and looked up at her, shaking her head with a smile.  
Bernadetta calmed down, and the white vanished from the room. Lorenz, after taking a second, coughs into his hand.  
“Apologies,” Lorenz stated, placing his hands at his sides. “I was testing Lady Galatea’s character, and I may have gone a bit too far on that angle. Ingrid has shown to be a good person with no ill intentions. Though she doesn’t have much of a reason to head to Almyra, I will consider it if you give me a day,”  
“Really, thank you,” Ingrid exclaimed, raising her head.  
“I’ll only be considering it though,” Lorenz restated, walking over to Marianne. “To make up for any ill will, you two may enjoy some tea together privately,”  
“You don’t have to do that,” Ingrid denied, sitting up and shaking her head.  
“Um, Ingrid,” Bernadetta whispered into Ingrid’s ear nervously.  
“It’s okay,” Marianne added, placing the tray on the table. “We often do this whenever someone wants to negotiate,”  
“Besides,” Lorenz added, glancing back at both Ingrid and Bernadetta, and giving them a wink. “You two should probably talk a bit and get rejuvenated before heading back out. Thankfully I told your friends you’d be done around nightfall, so take your time in this dark, secluded room where little to no one can see or hear you,”  
Lorenz and Marianne both bowed before leaving them. Ingrid and Bernadetta both sat on the same couch, preparing to enjoy some tea. They sat quietly, still rather tense from the negotiations, glancing at each other nervously.  
“A-are you okay?” they both asked, turning to each other.  
“Am I okay?” They replied, their eyes widened.  
“I didn’t have any problems,” They both continued, shaking their heads. “I’m more worried about you,”  
They stared at each other, unsure of what to say until they burst out laughing. They continued laughing, eventually resting against each other on the couch.  
They finished laughing and looked each other in the eyes. Their faces turned bright red, and they both stood up to get onto the other couch.  
They both stopped at the table in the middle, and began shifting to decide who would go to the other couch. Ingrid’s eyes widened, she facepalmed, and then sighed.  
“Bernadetta, what are we doing?” Ingrid asked, narrowing her eyes.  
“Bernie doesn’t know!” Bernadetta exclaimed, clasping her hands together.  
“Bernadetta,” Ingrid stated, closing her eyes. “It’s okay, please calm down,”  
“It’s not okay!” Bernadetta exclaimed, her eyes starting to wet. “I’m married, and I don’t want to hurt Mercedes!”  
“Why would this hurt Mercie?” Ingrid asked, raising an eyebrow and tipping her head.  
Bernadetta froze like a statue, unsure of how to respond. Her eyes looked left and right, up and down, practically spinning in a circle.  
“Well, I was under the impression that she had feelings for you,” Bernadetta explained, gesturing towards Ingrid with both hands.  
“I see,” Ingrid responded, looking down a little. “I guess we have been rather close, especially as of late, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s interested in me that way,”  
“Oh, I see,” Bernadetta exclaimed, a dumbfounded look on her face. “What about the other day, I heard that she and Dorothea fought over you?”  
“Oh, that,” Ingrid exclaimed, scratching the back of her head, blushing a little. “They were just playing around,”  
“I see,” Bernadetta sighed, closing her eyes. “It seems like any girl in love with you would have a hard time anyways,”  
“Well,” Ingrid exclaimed, placing her hand on her mouth, her face bright red. “I wouldn’t say that, I just… never really considered the idea before...,”  
Bernadetta fixated on Ingrid’s hand on her mouth. She started to get embarrassed, unsure of what to do. She placed her hands together in front of her and began twisting around.  
“But…, what about your family?” Bernadetta asked.  
“Oh, right!” Ingrid exclaimed, raising both of her hands, her eyes widened. “That’s true I really shouldn’t be interested in girls since I need to make sure my family line continues though on the other hand I’m not the only child my parents ever had and adoption wouldn’t be out of the question if need be but I shouldn’t necessarily adopt for something like a crest or anything like that-! Wait, what are we doing!”  
“I don’t know!” Bernadetta exclaimed, hands on the side of her head. “It’s just that we kissed earlier even though I’m married which I guess is okay since Lorenz said nobles have gotten involved in polyamory as of recent but it still feels weird even though the first time was just for show which I guess makes it fine but then for some reason I ended up kissing you again and I can’t stop thinking about it!”  
“Neither can I!” Ingrid exclaimed, grabbing the side of her head. “That was my first kiss too and-!”  
“By the Goddess!” Bernadetta exclaimed, placing her fingers on her lips, then bowing. “I’m so sorry!”  
“No-no, you don’t need to apologize,” Ingrid assured, hunching down, and reaching out. “I was the one who wanted to go along with Lorenz’s...Lorenzeness,”  
Bernadetta raised her head, looking up at Ingrid. They exchanged smiles, and Bernadetta decided to grab Ingrid’s hand.  
Pulse, Ingrid’s heart was beating both heavily and rapidly. Bernadetta’s began to decrease, falling in line with Ingrid’s.  
Bernadetta leaned in, over the table, her hands moving up to Ingrid’s shoulders, then finding solace on the side of her face. It was warm, Ingrid’s face so red Bernadetta could swear Ingrid had been sunburned.  
Their heads pressed together at the center of the table, the light of the sun shining on their faces. In a translike-daze, they kissed, almost like it was the most natural thing for them to do.  
The sun began to set as they separated, looking at each other with only surprise. Bernadetta’s face turned red, and she planted her face on the table.  
“Dang it Bernie! You’ve done it again!” She exclaimed, banging her fists against the table.  
Ingrid placed her hand on Bernadetta’s chin, helping her face up from the table. Ingrid awkwardly pecked Bernadetta on the lips, then let go, backed away, and kneeled down at the other side of the table.  
“W-well now we’re even,” Ingrid stated, coughing into her fist.  
“Is that really even?” Bernadetta asked, her eyes narrowed before energetically slamming her hands on the table, eyes widened. “Also you kissed a married woman!”  
“A reminder that you kissed me three times already!” Ingrid exclaimed, she blushed, her eyes narrowed. “Plus Lorenz already said that nobles are doing this kind of stuff, so it shouldn’t be too big of a deal, right?”  
“But what about Raphael?!” Bernadetta asked, placing her hands on her head.  
“He’ll probably be fine with it,” Ingrid stated, taking a sip of tea, a blank expression on her face.  
“He’ll probably be fine with it,” Bernadetta repeated, taking a sip of tea herself. “It would be better to talk to him first,”  
“That’s true,” Ingrid agreed, taking a sip, before planting her cup on the table energetically. “Wait, are we actually doing this?!”  
“We might actually be doing this,” Bernadetta replied, sinking down.  
“Have we ever actually had this kind of relationship?” Ingrid asked, sinking down herself.  
“Well, I guess our relationship has always been a little odd,” Bernadetta stated, placing her fingers together.  
“It’s just, I don’t know if I am, or if I’ll ever be ready for this,” Ingrid lamented, looking down.  
“Well...we could always take it slow?” Bernadetta asked, rubbing her hands together.  
“I...I’d like that,” Ingrid replied, a warm smile on their face, blushing a little.  
“Do you think we should use the couches?” Bernadetta asked, looking to the left and right.  
“I think this is fine right now,” Ingrid replied, staring at Bernadetta almost lovingly.  
They picked up their tea cups, and tapped them together in the center of the table. Some time later, the sun set, leaving the room in darkness.

………

Marianne found Lorenz in his study. He was working intently on some letters. Marianne raised her eyebrows.  
“What has you up late tonight Lorenz?” Marianne asked, a concerned look on her face.  
“I’m sending letters out to see what I can find out about our visitors’ activities,” Lorenz explained, finishing a letter. “Tomorrow I’ll send people to retrieve any information I can,”  
“Are you sure about this?” Marianne asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
“I am,” Lorenz stated, giving a nod. “Even if they’re kind people, I have to be sure, for the safety of the Kingdom, and for you,”  
“I’ll get you some tea,” Marianne stated, beginning to leave.  
“You shouldn’t need to get caught up with this,” Lorenz stated, grabbing her hand gently. “You should sleep,”  
“Lorenz,” Marianne stated, turning to him with a smile. “The sun has only just set, I have plenty of time to help you,”  
“Very well,” Lorenz agreed, smiling at her. “Have some for yourself while your at it,”  
Marianne left the room, and began walking towards the kitchen. While walking through the hall, she looked out at the town.  
The night had begun, and people were out and about, enjoying the city. The star filled sky was beautiful, perfectly complemented by the lights in the streets.  
The flow of a cape, she noticed someone sitting on top of one of the nearby buildings, staring out at the city. Marianne blinked, and they were gone.

To Be Continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading, I wasn't sure about this chapter at first, but it worked out pretty well, even if had my classic issue, tone juggling(but I'm not sure how to fix that and I'm usually fine with it when it happens, though I felt this one was a bit too extreme).
> 
> One thing that does annoy me is how much I make the characters worried about each other. I mean it makes sense, and helps with the stakes and drama, but it feels like I do this all the time(to be fair, if I wrote more comedy I wouldn't have that, but I'm DEFINITELY not a comedian).
> 
> I did think it might've been too soon for "the talk", but I did end making a decent enough spot for it, and there is a lot to work with here, so I'll only know in the long run. Next chapter will most likely be the normal two weeks, because I don't have the clearest vision of it, but we'll just have to wait and see.


	13. Side story: Lákkos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nariko confronts Dimitri and takes both him and Dedue to Lákkos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, I didn't mean for this to be the plot of the chapter, it just kind of happened when I got a few ideas going. I was originally going to do more stuff with Ingrid and company, but I kept wanting to do a Dimitri subplot, and in the end, it just became this chapter.

It was the same night as Ingrid’s first in Derdriu. Dimitri arrived at Castle Galatea, Dedue in tow.  
“Wait out here Dedue,” Dimitri ordered, getting off of his horse.  
“In that case, I’ll keep watch,” Dedue conceded, getting off his horse and readying his axe.  
“That’s not necessary Dedue,” Dimitri urged, placing his hand on Dedue’s shoulder. “Yuri has several of his people keeping watch at all times,”  
“And a skilled enemy would be aware of that,” Dedue argued, taking his stance.  
“If it were an enemy that skilled, you should escape, I won’t have you losing your life again,” Dimitri argued, his eye narrowed.  
“I can’t make any promises,” Dedue insisted, holding his ground.  
“Of course,” Dimitri sighed, looking down, then heading towards Castle Galatea. “I’ll let it be for now, but if there’s ever any real danger, I want you to follow my order!”  
In the nearby forest, a figure was beheaded. Nariko stood above a group of three corpses, a smile on her face.  
A golden shine, a black katana with gold stripes was placed against her throat. A pair of golden eyes, a man with black stained skin, a black cape, a black kasa, and golden eyes stood behind her.  
“This is against orders Nariko,” he stated.  
“Correct,” Nariko answered, fear in her eyes. “B-but Tsukiya, I have a plan, ”  
“To get yourself killed?” Tsukiya asked. “My job is to keep an eye on him, that includes killing anyone who gets too hasty,”  
“Lákkos,” Nariko exclaimed, starting to breath heavily. “I’ll take him to Lákkos,”  
“Are you planning to double cross Orpheus little cub?” Tsukiya asked.  
“There’s no better way to kill him,” Nariko explained, backing up only to find a thin blade pointed at the back of her head. “The journey should take two days, once I’m finished, it’ll be too late. Just a few more steps, and when it’s time for the invasion, Faerghus will shatter like glass,”  
“You don’t really care about that, do you?” Tsukiya asked.  
“Do I need to answer that question?” Nariko asked with a smile.  
“Hm, very well,” Tsukiya conceded, putting away his weapons, closing his eyes, and blending into the darkness. “I won’t say anything to command, if this fails however, your head, and his, will never see the next moon,”  
Nariko felt a breeze in the wind. She pulled out her blade and bore her fangs.

………

Dimitri closed the door. Yuri, Constance, and Count Galatea were waiting for him in Ingrid’s office(formerly Count Galatea’s).  
Count Galatea sat at the desk, while Constance and Yuri stood in front of him, to the side. Dimitri turned to them, brushing the back of his head.  
“Sorry for coming to visit you on such short notice,” Dimitri apologized.  
“Think nothing of it your majesty,” Count Galatea excused, shaking his head.  
“We are always welcome to wake up in the middle of the night for your majesty,” Yuri stated, bowing, a bit of sarcasm in his tone.  
“One would get used to this kind of thing after a while,” Constance added, glancing towards Yuri in annoyance.  
“It doesn’t happen that often,” Yuri excused, looking the other way.  
“And yet I continue to find thyself sleepless more often than not,” Constance persisted, sliding over to stare at Yuri in annoyance.  
“Do you want me to bring up how your desire for children keeps me up later than I’d prefer?” Yuri asked, turning his head to look her in the eyes, his eyes narrowed.  
“It’s necessary for rebuilding House Nuvelle!” Constance exclaimed, pressing her head against Yuri’s.  
“What a coincidence,” Yuri remarked, smirking. “So does my work,”  
“Have you forgotten that we already have official work in the Empire?” Constance asked, closing her eyes, her annoyance seeping further.  
“And have you ever considered adoption, or human cloning?” Yuri asked, manually opening her eyes.  
“And have you ever considered that I could set you on fire at any moment?” Constance asked, placing her hand on his face.  
“Ahem,” Count Galatea interrupted, coughing into his mouth. “Do you mind?”  
Constance and Yuri took note that Dimitri and Count Galatea were still there. Realizing their actions, they started to become uncomfortable, starting to sweat a bit.  
“Umm,” Constance tried to say nervously, her face turning red.  
“Excuse us for a few minutes?” Yuri asked, grabbing Constance’s hand.  
They walked towards the door, slipping out quietly so not to wake anyone up. Dimitri walked up to Count Galatea’s desk, an awkward look on his face.  
“Should I be concerned?” Dimitri asked, pointing back the way they went.  
“It’s recommended that you not check on them for thirty minutes to an hour,” Count Galatea stated, his hands together, his face looking down solemnly.  
“O-oh, I see,” Dimitri exclaimed in surprise, closing his eye awkwardly.  
“Anyway,” Count Galatea announced, clapping his hands together. “So what did you want to talk about?”  
“Actually, I was hoping both you and Yuri would be here for the discussion,” Dimitri sighed, shaking his head.  
“You don’t have to wait for Yuri to hear what you want. Having worked with him the last few days, I have just about everything you need to hear,” Count Galatea explained, a confident smile on his face.  
“You know why I’m here?” Dimitri asked, his eye widened.  
“Of course, we’re not deaf to what’s happening around the Kingdom,” Count Galatea stated, nodding confidently before clapping his hands. “I’ll recount the events to you. It started around a week ago with Ingrid’s coronation. A person of Duscur disrupted the ceremony, causing quite a stir,”  
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Dimitri lamented, looking down and shaking his head.  
“It’s fine, he got what was coming to him, as later that night, he and a group of bandits attacked Ingrid and her friends while they were out,”  
“By the Goddess, were they okay?!” Dimitri exclaimed, slamming his hands on the desk, causing it’s legs to break.  
“I’ll ask Boone to fix that in the morning,” Count Galatea commented, closing his eyes.  
“Sorry, I lost control of my strength there,” Dimitri apologized, bowing down.  
“It’s fine,” Count Galatea stated, raising a hand. “Anyway, Ingrid was fine, though the attack was a bit of a scare, for myself especially. The following day was when things took a turn, Felix showed up on our doorstep with rather troubling news. On his journeys he encountered some bandits who were affected by a rather strange form of magic,”  
“Was it Those Who Slither In The Dark?!” Dimitri asked, accidentally breaking the desk in two this time. “Um…,”  
“Nothing some glue can’t handle,” Count Galatea conceded, slumping down a little. “Anyway, the incident was definitely connected to them, though it seems to be a more loose connection, considering most of them were wiped out in the great war. Following Felix’s appearance, we were visited by the merchant, former member of the court, and wanted criminal, Aristide Melvill,”  
“Aristide Melvill!” Dimitri explained, pushing half the desk through the floor. “Crap!”  
“Don’t worry,” Count Galatea assured, shaking his head, sweat pouring down his face. “This is just a good opportunity to install a ladder, it’ll make this place faster to traverse anyways. But yes, the same man who had attempted to marry Ingrid back in her days at the academy. He appeared, intimidated us, and disappeared,”  
“So he was behind the attack on Galatea territory,” Dimitri exclaimed, placing his hand on his chin. “Could he have wanted revenge for before?”  
“That was definitely his motive, but he wasn’t alone,” Count Galatea exclaimed, shaking his head.  
“There were members of Those Who Slither In The Dark Involved,” Dimitri stated, crossing his arms.  
“That’s another piece of the puzzle,” Count Galatea stated, crossing his arms likewise. “We believe there was more to this however. Yuri has heard reports of a mysterious foreigner, as well as a young woman from Sreng. Furthermore, raiding Galatea Territory has little financial benefit, so what could Melvill have earned from this, other than revenge of course. He’s still a man of business, spending money so recklessly would be dangerous without someone to back him. We’re unsure how deep this goes. They could have connections to Sreng and Those Who Slither In The Dark, even Aelfric or dare I say, Lákkos,”  
“How big is this?!” Dimitri exclaimed, throwing the other side of the desk through the wall.  
Behind the wall, Yuri and Constance had been “wrestling” in bed when the desk burst through. The two pairs froze, staring at each other awkwardly.  
Constance and Yuri slowly inched over to where there was still wall covering them, and continued. Dimitri and Count Galatea turned back to each other, blocking out all sounds other than their own.  
“We aren’t able to properly gauge the situation just yet, they’ve been very careful about keeping information from even Yuri,” Count Galatea explained, shaking his head. “I would suggest doing some digging yourself,”  
“I see,” Dimitri acknowledged, placing his hand on his chin before reaching out to shake Count Galatea’s hand. “Thank you for your help,”  
“You won’t stay to rest?” Count Galatea asked, shaking Dimitri’s hand, a concerned look on his face.  
“Sorry,” Dimitri apologized, shaking his head. “I need to get to the bottom of things as soon as possible,”  
“Very Well,” Count Galatea conceded, looking down solemnly. “Have a safe journey,”  
“Thank you, Count Galatea,” Dimitri stated, walking towards the door.

………

Dimitri exited the building, finding Dedue in the same place he had been previously. Dimitri shook his head and gave Dedue a pat on the shoulder.  
“At ease Dedue,” Dimitri greeted.  
“Your majesty, welcome back,” He greeted, turning to Dimitri and kneeling down.  
“Thank you, Dedue, but you don’t need to be so official,” Dimitri sighed, a small smile on his face.  
“Is something wrong?” Dedue asked, lifting his head to look at Dimitri directly.  
“Count Galatea was helpful, but it’s clear that we’re missing crucial information,” Dimitri lamented, closing an eye. “We’ll have to keep asking around,”  
“That seems like a wild goose chase, does it not?”  
A pair of eyes glowed across the night sky. Nariko stood before them, her Killing Edge glowing red with blood. Dedue sprang into action, pulling out his axe, and positioning himself to protect Dimitri.  
“Identify yourself!?” Dedue roared, anger and anxiety seeping into his face  
“Nariko,” she stated, licking up some of the blood on her hands, then smiling, giving a light blush. “Sorry about the mess, I got a little excited knowing that I would be meeting the Boar Prince himself,”  
“That part of me is long gone,” Dimitri stated, readying Areadbhar, and narrowing his eye.  
“I find that hard to believe,” Nariko stated, staring at her Killing Edge while glancing at Dimitri with only excitement. “A mass murderer doesn’t simply lose that...that instinct, that feeling,”  
“What do you want?” Dimitri asked, his hands starting to shake, whether it be from rage or from his nerves.  
“Time is of the essence Boar Prince,” she stated, baring her fangs, a smile on her face. “You should visit Lákkos,”  
“Why would I want to visit Lákkos?” Dimitri asked, raising an eyebrow, holding Areadhbar tightly.  
“Lákkos is the fastest way to find the information you seek,” Nariko explained, walking towards them. “Anyone else will either be in the dark, or refuse to properly tell you what you want to know. It doesn’t help that by the time you’ve made the journey from here to your Sylvain and anywhere else you may search, it will already be too late,”  
“Too late for what?” Dimitri asked, taking a step forward.  
“That’s that question isn’t it?” Nariko asked, giggling with joy.  
“Your the woman from Sreng, aren't you?” Dimitri asked, glaring at her.  
“By the blood!” Nariko exclaimed, placing her hands on her cheeks and blushing. “I can’t believe the Boar Prince has heard of me!”  
“Tell me what you know,” Dimitri ordered, raising Areadbhar, and point it towards her.  
“Your highness!” Dedue called out, trying to step in Dimitri’s way.  
“It’s okay Dedue. I can handle myself,” Dimitri assured, placing his hand on Dedue’s shoulder before readying himself for Nariko yet again. “You’re involved with Aristide Melvill and his accomplices,”  
“I was pretty obvious, wasn’t I?” Nariko asked, looking down with a bright smile, then looking back at Dimitri excitedly.  
“You basically told me the moment we met villain,” Dimitri stated, stepping up to Nariko. “Tell me everything you know,”  
“Why would I do that?” Nariko asked, placing her hands on Dimitri’s chest plate.  
“Enough,” Dimitri stated, putting his hand in position to crush Nariko’s throat in an instant. “My friends, my country, the Professor, all of them are in danger, and I have no time to waste on a blood thirsty psychopath,”  
“Oh…,” Nariko responded excitedly, placing her hands around Dimitri’s hand against her throat, then resting her neck there. “I knew you still had it in you Boar Prince. I also know how time is of the essence, and how killing me here will be pointless, and could even lead to everyone you know dying before your eyes. This is why you need to visit Lákkos, that is the key to finding out the information you seek,”  
“Your Highness!” Dedue called out, fear on his face.  
“How do I know this isn’t a trap?” Dimitri asked, gritting his teeth at her.  
“Lákkos won’t kill you if you simply follow through on your promises. The risk is great, but the looming threat is greater. They are the only hope you have in this world of lies,” Nariko explained, looking up at Dimitri like a hungry wolf. “I apologize for acting inappropriately, the presence of the Boar Prince is just so….exciting,”  
“Someone as impure as you can only be described as disgusting, volatile, a monster,” Dimitri insulted, stepping back.  
“Would you like it better if I were a sheltered girl with green hair?” Nariko asked, her fangs shining with her eyes.  
Dimitri swung Areadbhar down at her head, a gust of wind exploding from the point where he stopped, mere millimeters from crushing Nariko’s head. Nariko was pushed to the ground by the gust of wind.  
She had barely started moving when Dimitri slammed down Areadbhar. It was clear to her that if he had wanted to, he could’ve killed her effortlessly. She could only smile at the thought of his lance splitting her in two.  
“Lead the way,” Dimitri ordered, not moving an inch.  
“Your Majesty!” Dimitri called out for a third time, rushing towards Dimitri.  
“Dedue!” Dimitri called out. “I have to do this!”  
“Very well,” Dedue conceded, glaring at Nariko. “But if you are, then I’m coming with you,”  
“No Dedue-,” Dimitri ordered, raising a hand.  
“Your Majesty,” Dedue interrupted, kneeling down for him. “You saved my life, and I can only make it up to you by protecting your’s,”  
“I know Dedue, but it’s-,” Dimitri argued, his eye widened.  
“I can’t have you traveling for who knows how long with this monster,”  
“How long is the trip?” Dimitri asked, turning to Nariko.  
“Around two days,” she answered, standing up and dusting herself off.  
“Very well,” Dimitri conceded with a sigh, turning to Dedue.

………

They rode for two full days, Nariko taking point, while Dimitri and Dedue followed behind, sharing the other horse. They came across a forest bathed in shadow, with foliage so thick that not even the sun could pierce it.  
“You travel on foot from here,” Nariko called out, getting off of her horse. “To bring a horse in is to offer it as tribute, and all who enter must pay tribute, ‘less they have nothing to pay,”  
“How do we know this isn’t a trap?” Dedue asked, readying his axe.  
“Halt Dedue,” Dimitri ordered, raising a hand. “Don’t do anything hasty yet,”  
“The Boar Prince is right you know,” Nariko agreed, turning towards them, a lifeless look on her face. “You don’t want to do anything you’ll regret when it comes to Lákkos. Lord Melvill told me that once you enter the lion's den, you must feed the lion if you wish to leave,”  
“What is the lion to be fed?” Dimitri asked, staring at the dark abyss.  
“Who knows?” Nariko asked with a shrug. “That’s for the lion and their patron to know. Lord Melvill told me the rules, and the consequences for not following them,”  
“What are these consequences?” Dedue asked, placing his axe against the back of Nariko’s head.  
“If you refuse to feed the lion-,” Nariko explained, looking towards Dimitri, showing her fangs. “Then the lion will have to feast on something else,”  
“So that’s why you brought me here,” Dimitri accused, pointing Areadbhar at her.  
“Naturally,” Nariko stated, scratching her chin. “Our employers would prefer you dead rather than alive, and I clearly can’t kill you. Even while I watched you sleep, it seemed impossible to touch you,”  
“You dastard,” Dimitri insulted, his face angry yet unsurprised.  
“That’s it,” Nariko stated, blushing, looking to Dimitri like a nervous school girl. “If it helps, I can go in with you,”  
“How would that help?” Dedue asked, looking down on her with rage.  
“I will have to make a sacrifice if I enter,” Nariko explained, closing her eyes, a smile on her face. “If I lose something with him, it will make proper atonement, an eye for an eye as you will,”  
“Or you’ll strike him down in the dark,” Dedue accused, tightening his grip.  
“Enough Dedue,” Dimitri requested, placing his hand on Dedue’s hand. “You are right that I can’t trust her, but I can’t have the both of you out here. I suggest you get on horseback and leave,”  
“Your Majesty?” Dedue exclaimed, widening his eyes.  
“I can handle her, but I need to know that you’re safe from her,” Dimitri explained, lowering Dedue’s hands.  
“Indeed, Boar Prince,” Nariko acknowledged, walking over to one of the horses and beheading it, it’s blood splattering on the ground and her face. “This way, I won’t be able to give chase,”  
“Your nothing more than a beast in human skin,” Dimitri insulted, glaring at her.  
“We beasts recognise each other rather quickly, Boar Prince,” Nariko stated, looking at Dimitri like a wolf in a standoff with a boar.  
“Dedue,” Dimitri called out, glancing towards him. “Leave,”  
“But-,” Dedue tried to argue  
“Find a place to hide, I’ll come for you,” Dimitri ordered, walking towards the forest.  
“Dimitri-,” Dedue reached out, his eyes widened.  
“Leave Dedue,” Dimitri ordered, stopping briefly. “Now!”  
Dedue begrudgingly got on the remaining horse and left. Dimitri turned to Nariko, walking backwards into the darkness, never taking his eyes off of her until she vanished.  
“Welcome, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd,”  
Dimitri turned around to find himself in old ruins. Rows of pillars followed endlessly until they reached a pit carved into the ground.  
Everything, even the pit, was similar to a tree, the pillars were like trees of stone, and the pit was like a massive, hollow tree without end. Between many of the pillars were knights with their armor fused to their skin, all showing large gaps that revealed a bit of skin, though it was charred to the point of being like armor.  
A person stood in front of the pit, they had grey skin covered in moss, and wore a purple cloth on their head, acting as a cloak. They had long, black hair, with white accents, emerald green eyes, and while it was unclear if they were a man or a woman, they were rather effeminate.  
“Welcome, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd” they called out, their voice sounding like they were right next to Dimitri.  
“Are you Lákkos?!” Dimitri asked, his face puzzled.  
“There’s no need to shout,” they stated. “I am not Lákkos, rather I am called Brontë. Please, step forward,”  
Dimitri began walking towards them, they waited in silence. As he drew closer, he realized that Brontë was Agarthan.  
“Your one of Those Who Slither In The Dark!” Dimitri accused, pointing Areadbhar.  
The knights all drew their weapons, ready to attack if necessary. Brontë sighed, and shook their head.  
“I am Agarthan, however, I have no connection to the people you called Those Who Slither In The Dark,” Brontë explained. “Please, put away your weapon,”  
“Not until I know this isn’t a trap,” Dimitri argued, looking around.  
“The Earth doesn’t take kindly to violence in this place, even if you kill everyone here, I cannot guarantee you’ll make it out alive. The Earth is spiteful like that,” Brontë explained, shaking their head, and spreading their arms.  
“The....Earth?” Dimitri asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“You seek to hear what the Earth has heard,” Brontë stated, turning to the pit before them. “To do so, you must enter Lákkos, and the Earth will show you what you seek, well, not everything, but it should show you something,”  
“I was told there was a cost,” Dimitri stated, narrowing his only eye.  
“Yes, to seek knowledge from the Earth is to make a contract with it,” Brontë agreed, smiling. “When you enter Lákkos, you will be poisoned, that poison will take effect when the Earth designates. If you fail to follow through, you will die, and there are no loopholes. If your requirement was to leave those you love behind, you can’t return to them, because the Earth listens to everything, and the poison will take effect. The poison can’t be removed from you either, even if every last drop faded from your system, it will never truly be gone, you could say it was bound to your soul,”  
“So that’s Nariko’s game,” Dimitri realized, gritting her teeth.  
“Apologies, she believes you won’t be able to fulfill your contract,” Brontë apologized, crossing their arms. “The Earth hopes that is not case,”  
“And now that I’m here, I can’t walk away,” Dimitri added, lowering his weapon and stepping forward.  
“That is correct,” Brontë answered, stepping aside.  
“But what reason other than her employers would she go so far to kill me?” Dimitri asked, getting closer to the pit.  
“That isn’t the knowledge you seek, thus you may never know,” Brontë, gesturing for him to enter the pit.  
“I won’t become like those knights will I?” Dimitri asked, glancing towards the knights as they followed behind him.  
“Only if you have nothing to offer other than yourself, and in your position, you have much to offer,” Brontë explained, gesturing towards him. “Now please, enter Lákkos,”  
Dimitri reached the edge of the pit. With great determination, he jumped in.

……....

Dimitri awakened outside of a gate, large enough for an entire army to step through. The entire world was colored gray, like a spot frozen in time.  
“Dimitri?”  
Dimitri turned around to see none other standing behind him than Flayn, in color. She stood with her hands placed together, looking left and right, clearly confused.  
She was bandaged, and her clothes were all torn. Dimitri stood stunned, almost like he was looking at a ghost.  
“Flayn?” he asked, swallowing some air.  
“Where...where are we?” she asked, looking at him in confusion.  
“It...it’s hard to explain,” Dimitri explained, looking down. “I don’t think I’m currently with you right now,”  
Flayn’s eyes widened, she began to cry, and fell to her knees. Instinctively, Dimitri rushed over to her, helping hold her up, his arms wrapped around her.  
“I’m sorry Flayn,” Dimitri begged, a tear in his eye. “If I knew you would end up like this, I would have never made that deal with Edelgard,”  
“No,” Flayn argued, shaking her head while clinging to him. “You were trying to do the right thing,”  
“Where are you?! Are you safe?!” What happened to you?!” Dimitri exclaimed, looking her in the eyes, his face filled with worry.  
“Listen, they’re building gates everywhere, Almyra, Duscur, Sreng, Morfis, Albinea, Dagda, and even Brigid!” Flayn exclaimed, squeezing Dimitri’s shoulders. “They’re going to bring their armies through and invade from all sides if we don’t stop them!”  
“Wait a minute, what?” Dimitri asked, shock and confusion on his face. “What happened to Claude, to Ashe and Petra, who are ‘they’?”  
“I’m not sure what’s happening to them, but Isadore said that he had contacts everywhere!” Flayn explained, pulling Dimitri closer. “You need to do something or the Odyssian Empire will destroy everything!”  
“What about you?!” Dimitri asked, placing his hands on her face.  
“Forget about me, you need to save everyone!” Flayn exclaimed, shaking her head, her body starting to vanish.  
“I can’t, not after everything we’ve been through!” Dimitri exclaimed, tears falling down his face. “Not after what I did to you!”  
“It’s okay Dimitri,” Flayn comforted, placing her hands on his face, her torso beginning to vanish. “No matter what you do, I can’t ever hate you,”  
Flayn blushed a little, and leaned in, kissing Dimitri on the lips. Shock filled Dimitri’s face, he stiffened unsure of what to feel. Flayn pulled away, a weak smile on her face.  
“Goodbye....Dimitri,” she said just before she vanished completely.

………

Dimitri awoke covered in black goo. His body was on fire, like it had been thrown into a tornado.  
He lay outside of the pit, Brontë and their knights waiting patiently for him. Dimitri stood up, walked over, and picked up Brontë by the throat. The Knights prepared to attack, but Brontë signaled them to stop.  
“Where...is....Flayn!?” Dimitri growled, rage spread across his face.  
“If what the Earth showed you wasn’t what you sought, then you must accept it,” Brontë stated, looking down on Dimitri. “The Earth won’t show you anymore until you’ve fulfilled your contract. Once you have, you may create a new contract, and try again,”  
“And what is this contract fiend?” Dimitri asked, glaring at them.  
“Your throne,” Brontë answered, narrowing their eyes.  
“What!?” Dimitri growled, gritting his teeth.  
“Within this year, you must give up your throne, it doesn’t matter who takes it, but you must give it up. You may never retake it, as the Earth will know, and you will die just as you would if you refuse to give up the throne in the given time,” Brontë explained, placing their hand on Dimitri’s chest that was covered in the black goo.  
“Damn it!” Dimitri roared, tossing Brontë away.  
Brontë, about to land on their head, twisted around and landed on their feet. They turned to Dimitri, and without a word gestured for him to leave.  
In a blink, Dimitri was standing outside the forest. It had been a few hours since he entered the forest, it was already getting dark out.  
Dimitri’s face was filled with horror. Laying in the grass was the corpse of a man with a rather large build.  
Dimitri rushed over to the body, breathing heavily, fear across his face. He stopped just short of it, it was Dedue, his head cut cleanly off of his head.  
Based on the nearby tracks and Dedue being here, he must’ve doubled back and attacked Nariko. Nariko then decapitated him, and stole the horse.  
Dimitri got on his hands and knees, and roared at the top of his lungs. There was a scream nearby.  
Dimitri turned to see a tall man with a straw hat that covered his eyes. Dimitri rushed over to the man, who cowered in fear.  
“P-please, don’t kill me!” the man begged, shielding his face with his arms.  
“Did you see anything?” Dimitri asked, desperation and sadness on his face.  
“A young lady on horseback rode by and warned me not to come this way!” he said, still backing away. “She said King Dimitri had gone berserk and killed his personal attendant! I was curious if she was telling the truth, so I had to check!”  
“Did she say anything else?!” Dimitri asked, placing his hands on the man’s shoulders.  
“Yes, before I left I heard her talking to someone about Almyra being the only gate left standing, and something about blood!” He said, curling up for protection. “I don’t know what she meant, and that’s all I heard! She and her friend were keeping pretty secretive!”  
Dimitri let go of the man, and he immediately ran as fast as he could. So many emotions were flowing through him, but he couldn’t express all of them at once.  
Flayn must be in Almyra, if that’s the only gate left standing. Nariko is probably headed there to find this Isadore person.  
Everything was falling into place, the plan must’ve fallen through everywhere else, right, but what if this was a trick? Someone like her couldn’t have left such crucial information slip easily, could she?  
Dedue was dead, and Flayn needed him. Dimitri roared at the top of his lungs, and began to shatter the ground, flailing Areadbhar everywhere like a wild animal.  
In the distance, the man who told him everything looked back, hearing the roar. He smiled, revealing golden eyes that glowed in the dark.

………

Dimitri arrived in Fhirdiad, covered in dirt and grime. It had been three days since met Flayn, and found Dedue's corpse. He was greeted by many guards and soldiers, but ignored them, only searching for one, Gustave.  
“Your Majesty, where have you been?” He asked, cleaning the dirt off of Dimitri’s armor. “We’ve been worried sick about you,”  
“Prepare an army for me,” Dimitri ordered, signaling for Gustave to stop.  
“Your Majesty?” Gustave asked, concern on his face.  
“I’m heading to Almyra,” Dimitri ordered, walking passed Gustave.

Rest In Peace Dedue Molinaro "This life was given to me by his Highness. I do not intend to give it to anyone else"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God that got dark, I questioned whether I should keep that comedy segment in there, but I thought it might add a bit of levity, and I was like "well the characters don't know everything's going to be terrible, so they should act natural, right?". I might've pushed it, but I really like the scene, and eternal darkness forever the chapter didn't fit with me.


	14. The Lamp of Derdriu part III: The Goddess's rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Bernadetta and Ingrid are speaking with Lorenz, the others go to shop for supplies, with night lingering the background

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is a little short, I had to take a few steps back after last chapter to properly think things through for the Derdriu arc. That's part of the reason I ended up with last chapter, I was stuck on several points, such as character, and plot and such. Hopefully I have everything I need, and the rest of this arc should be a bit easier.

The night will descend eventually. A time for fun, a time for indulging oneself. Many spend their nights in the warm light of lamps, in the city streets where the people are.  
The night isn’t exclusive to these people. It’s also a fine place for rats, spiders, and coyotes, where they hide in the shadows, on the prowell for their next meal.

………

Outside the city, during the day, Ingrid and Bernadetta had just finished their initial meeting with Lorenz, and were getting ready to enter the carriage. Before that however, they went back to the others.  
“everyone,” Ingrid called out as she approached, holding Bernadetta’s hand for comforting reasons.  
“Yes Ingri(d),” they responded, though Mercedes was a little nervous, and Felix looked very Felix-like.  
“Bernadetta and I will be a bit, as it may, while we’re meeting with Lorenz, I’d like you to search for any supplies necessary for the journey,” Ingrid instructed, looking to all of them.  
“Varley Territory will be paying for everything,” Bernadetta stated, taking a breath. “So don’t worry too much about spending,”  
The others gave a nod in agreement before Ingrid and Bernadetta left for their meeting. The welcoming party and everything cleared out soon after.  
“So what should we look for first?” Mercedes asked, turning to Ignatz with a slightly nerved smile.  
“Well, we should probably focus on buying food and medicine, repairing weapons, and any other supplies like fishing bait or armor,” Ignatz suggested, placing his hand on his chin.  
“But before any of that, I’m hungry!” Raphael shouted, making a joyous fist.

………

“This is what I’m talking about!” Raphael announced, plopping a Roast Shark on the table. “There’s no better appetizer than Roast Shark!”  
They were sitting in a portside restaurant called Shark Feast. It had an open design, allowing people to get a clear view of the ocean before them.  
It had long rows of wooden picnic tables for people to eat at, with the occasional round table for special guests. The staff wore blue sailor vests, headbands, and long, white gloves.  
Raphael had taken an entire side of a table, with Ignatz and Felix on the other side. Mercedes sat next to Ignatz on the left, and Dorothea next to Felix on the right. Ignatz was only eating some stew, Dorothea and Mercedes each had salad, and Felix had some roasted fish on a stick.  
“You idiot!” Felix insulted, standing up with one leg on the table. “Don’t go spending all of Bernadetta’s money right away!”  
“Now Felix, Bernadetta did say we shouldn’t worry too much about spending,” Dorothea urged, gesturing to him.  
“E-even so, I don’t think it’s good to take advantage of her hospitality,” Ignatz added, glancing Dorothea’s way.  
“As Ingrid’s attendants, you won’t need to worry about that once Bern’s money becomes Ingrid’s money too,” Dorothea remarked, her eyes closed, a subtle smirk on her face.  
“What!?” Ignatz and Mercedes exclaimed, jumping forward and accidentally pushing Felix off the table.  
“You saw what happened when they met with Lorenz?” Dorothea commented, laughing into her hand.  
“I think they were just faking that,” Raphael mentioned, reaching the bone of his shark.  
“Th-that’s right, they were probably trying to trick Lorenz!” Ignatz exclaimed, placing his hand on the table.  
“Or Lorenz made them do it for his sick perversions!” Mercedes exclaimed, slamming her hand on the table likewise, and getting several odd looks from the others.  
“I don’t know,” Dorothea commented, tipping her head back with a smirk. “They seemed like they were pretty into it,”  
“But Bernadetta’s a married woman!” Ignatz and Mercedes exclaimed, crawling forward next to each other.  
“I don’t care, I want my seat back,” Felix snapped, standing up and trying to drag the two of them back.  
“I don’t mind!” Raphael exclaimed, a big smile on his face. “As long as she’s happy, I’m happy!”  
“Raphael!” Ignatz exclaimed, turning to him.  
“Anyway, I’m off to get seconds,” Raphael stated as he got up and walked away.  
“Haven’t you heard?” Dorothea remarked, placing her fingers on her mouth and fluttering her eyes. “Polyamory is all the rage among nobles these days,”  
Ignatz and Mercedes jumped back, knocking Felix away again. They placed their hands together, disgust on their faces.  
“That would be wrong!” Ignatz exclaimed.  
“Unholy,” Mercedes exclaimed. “It would go against the Goddess!”  
“Ingrid would never take part in such an act,” Ignatz added with a nod.  
“I don’t know, when Ingrid went to cool off before the meeting, I saw her riding with Bernadetta,” Dorothea explained, twirling her finger.  
“Finally,” Felix breathed a sigh of relief as he retook his spot, laying his head against the table.  
“Um...she was just following through on her promise,” Ignatz commented, poking his pointer finger against Mercedes’s as if they were the same person.  
“That’s right, and Bernadetta’s a sweet girl, she would never-,” Mercedes added, doing likewise with Ignatz.  
“Look out!” Raphael shouted.  
He tripped, sending his second shark flying through the air. It crashed onto Felix, swallowing him whole.  
“Enough!” Felix shouted, cutting his way out of the shark. “We’re done here!”

………

The streets were bustling with people searching for whatever wares they need or want. The shopping district was fairly close to the port to the point where you could see an almost artistic view of the sea and the ships.  
The air smelled of salt, and the warm sun rained on everything. Any outdoor shops that sold food and various related items had make-shift roofs to protect from the light.  
There were shops in buildings, along the outside, and on wheels. The shopping district was fairly close to where Shark Feast and other restaurants were, making it easy to stop for food while out and about shopping.  
Raphael carried any and all supplies on his back, while the other four split into the pairs of Dorothea and Felix, and Mercedes and Ignatz. Mercedes and Ignatz returned to Raphael with a bag of Vulnaries, Antidotes, and such.  
“This should be about it,” Ignatz stated, handing Raphael the bag.  
“That’s great buddy,” Raphael complimented, picking up the bag with his teeth, then throwing it onto his back. “Where should we put any of this anyways?”  
Mercedes and Ignatz froze, their eyes widened. They thought to themselves for a moment.  
“We can leave them with Lorenz/Emile until they're needed,” they said, raising a finger.  
“Why Lorenz?” Mercedes asked, turning to Ignatz, her eyes narrowed.  
“Why not?” Ignatz asked, raising an eyebrow. “He’s more conveniently in our area, and his castle is protected from thieves,”  
“Emile is protected from thieves too,” Mercedes pointed out, subtly juggling a sheathed dagger in her hand. “Plus we’ll be going back for him anyway when it’s time to go,”  
“I’ll have to carry the supplies from camp at that point,” Raphael pointed out, looking to Mercedes. “I could try to carry both, but I think Ingrid and Bernadetta would get mad at me if I dropped anything,”  
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Mercedes desperately assured, turning to Raphael.  
“It will probably be safer for them to get on Benny and fly over to our ship when the time comes,” Ignatz pointed out, raising a finger.  
“Unless they get shot down,” Mercedes pointed out, furrowing her brow.  
“Unless there’s enough distance that, that won’t happen,” Ignatz and Raphael stated, lowering their heads with a sigh.  
“Well……-,” Mercedes responded, looking left and right for something to say. “Where have Felix and Dorothea been?”  
“Don’t know,” Raphael answered, shaking his head. “They haven’t been back since they left,”  
“They probably got distracted arguing,” Mercedes suggested, raising a finger, regaining her composure. “How about I go look for them,”  
“I’ll go with you,” Ignatz stated, stepping forward.  
“You don’t have to do that,” Mercedes suggested, eyes closed, a smile on her face.  
“I know…, b-but I think we should talk,” Ignatz insisted, a serious look on his face.  
“Um…,” Mercedes responded, opening her eyes in surprise. “Okay,”  
They left Raphael, and began their search for Felix and Dorothea. They walked in awkward silence, three feet apart from one another.  
The sun began setting as they walked down the path, eventually finding themselves in front of a fountain with a massive statue of Deer standing in it’s center. Mercedes kept walking, looking down, but Ignatz stopped, taking a deep breath, his hand on his chest.  
“Mercedes,” Ignatz called out.  
“Yes, Ignatz,” Mercedes responded, stopping in her tracks.  
“Are you okay?” Ignatz asked, taking a step forward.  
“I’m fine, perfectly fine,” Mercedes stated, taking a deep breath. “I just hate Lorenz, that’s all,”  
“Oh, I see,” Ignatz responded, looking down a little before looking back up. “But is that really all of it? Recently you’ve been acting-,”  
“-Out of character,” Mercedes finished, placing her hands together behind her back. “Lorenz does often bring out a terrible side of me. We both attended the Fhirdiad School of Sorcery after all, and while we were there he was the same way he was at Gerrag Mach. He constantly tried to court women, only nobles of course, and he barely noticed anyone below noble status, that’s all he’s ever seen, nobles and the numbers below them-,”  
Mercedes turned halfway around, the light of the sun reflection off of her face like fire. She appeared like a goddess having passed judgement.  
“-I can tell you with absolute certainty, that Lorenz Hellman Gloucester is a garbage human being,” Mercedes stated.  
They both stood there in complete silence until the sun fell below the horizon. The fountain before them lit up. Ignatz narrowed his eyes, and bowed.  
“Mercedes, I’m sorry about how Lorenz has acted in the past, but I ask you to forgive him. He’s not the same person he was back then,” Ignatz exclaimed.  
“Thank you Ignatz,” Mercedes responded, smiling at the gesture. “I would like to believe you, but I’m afraid this is something that I can’t easily let go. Not after everything I’ve known him for, and not after his family sided against their own during the war,”  
“Mercedes…,” Ignatz exclaimed, his face dumbfounded.  
“You probably think I sound horrible-,” Mercedes stated, looking down a little. “-right?”  
“Mercedes, I could never-,” Ignatz argued, stepping forward.  
“It’s only natural,” Mercedes interrupted, looking up with her eyes closed. “When it comes to matters like this, I tend to make a fool of myself. I did so just this morning in front of Ingri, and now she probably can’t stand the sight of me,”  
“Mercedes, Ingrid wouldn’t-,” Ignats tried to argue, walking forward even more so.  
“I know she says she’d like to talk things out, but I can tell-,” Mercedes continued on, shaking her head.  
“Mercedes,” Ignatz stated, placing his hands on her shoulders in front of her.  
Mercedes looked at him in surprise for the look of confidence and strength on his face. They stared in silence, Mercedes unsure what to think and Ignatz maintaining his strong gaze.  
Ignatz’s eyes widened, and he loosed a bit, clearly a little embarrassed. Mercedes took a step back, and tripped on the outside of the fountain.  
Ignatz immediately reached for her again, and tripped likewise. They both fell into the fountain with a splash.  
The inside of the fountain was deeper than expected, more like a cold bath than a fountain. There were carvings shaped like deer legs on the side, and the bottom was designed like many deer had walked over it when it was carved.  
They both lifted out of the water, feeling the salty air on their skin. Mercedes and Ignatz looked at each, surprise on their faces.  
Her face turning red, and Mercedes began to laugh with all her might. The light of nearby lamps lit up the area, reflecting off of Mercedes’s skin.  
Ignatz marveled at the sight before him and couldn’t help but think of a new painting. He too, started laughing, though he couldn’t keep up with Mercedes at all.  
“Excuse us, you two,” someone said.  
Two mercenary types stood before them, a young, female swordsman and a witch engulfed in her tomb. The Swordsman dressed in a noble pink dress with iron chest, leg, shoulder, and glove armor similar to that of a female knight, though both parts looked to be in disrepair. At her side she had a sword in her sheath, and she had a long buttcape.  
The Witch wore an old, blue, lace gown with bronze accents, matching slippers and a black cloak. They both had green hair, the swordsman's being braided up while the witch’s was pushed back like a main, freeing up her face so she could continue to be glued to the tomb she read.  
The swordsman had pink eyes while the witch had blue, and they both had relatively dark skin, not as dark as a person of Duscur, but still distinctly similar. Mercedes and Ignatz took notice that more people were coming out for the night. They both turned red, and stood up out of the fountain, bowing to the guards.  
“We’re very sorry?” they apologized.  
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” the swordsman assured, raising both her hands.  
“Minus the crime of bathing in a public fountain, it’s fine,” the witch added, turning a page.  
“Aria, I’m pretty sure they just fell in,” the swordsman exclaimed, whispering into the witch’s ear.  
“We don’t know that, we could’ve caught them just before they committed a crime,” Aria argued, staring at her tomb with great intensity.  
“Crime?” Mercedes and Ignatz exclaimed, their faces turning red.  
“We don’t have any evidence of that,” the swordsman argued, narrowing her eyes.  
“Olivia, do we really need ‘evidence’ during the night,” Aria asked, glancing the swordsman’s way. “Even a baby could slit our throats if we’re not careful,”  
“A baby!” Ignatz and Mercedes exclaimed, huddling together, terrified looks on their faces.  
“If you actually thought we were in trouble, you wouldn’t be reading that tomb of your’s,” Olivia argued, lightly pushing the book down to look Aria in the eyes.  
“Fair point, I’ll give you this round,” Aria accepted, a threatening look on her face. “By the way, I’m not reading it, I’m translating it into Dagdan,”  
“I’m really sorry about…her,” Olivia apologized, bowing to them. “Please accept my apology and dry off at our place,”  
“No, thank you,” Ignatz exclaimed, raising both his hands.  
“Oh, thank you so much!” Mercedes exclaimed, grabbing Olivia’s hands.  
“Um, Mercedes?” Ignatz asked, reaching out.  
“Well, where else nearby is there to dry off?” Mercedes asked, turning to Ignatz, smiling with her eyes closed.  
“R-right,” Ignatz replied, a tired smile on his face, glancing towards the silhouette of Lorenz’s castle in the distance.  
“We can’t take too long though,” Mercedes added, turning to Olivia. “There are still people waiting for us and others we need to find,”  
“We better hurry then,” Olivia stated, giving a nod. “We don’t want them to be alone at night,”

………

The town was bustling that night, people going around and enjoying various shops, games, and other nightly activities. It was no longer the time for business, but the time for fun, and indulgence.  
Among the crowds, Raphael stood, continuing to hold onto their items, when a man walked up to him. The man was wearing a suit that gave the appearance of being expensive when it was clearly made on the cheap. He had long blond hair, a top hat, red eyes, and a cane.  
“Hello my boy, what might you have there?” He asked with a great deal of excitement, and energy, spreading his arms wide to behold his items.  
“I’m holding onto some items for my friends,” Raphael answered, a proud smile on his face.  
“I see, I see, that’s pretty dangerous my friend,” he stated, shaking his head before crouching down and tapping at Raphael’s leg with his cane. “In your current position, someone could easily take you down, and all your items with you,”  
“Really?” Raphael asked, his eyes widening.  
“Indeed my fellow, one wrong move and you’d be done for, no thief would want to upset the order of the night, but no one would be dumb enough to ignore such an easy target like yourself,” He explained, shaking his head dramatically, then snapping his fingers and pointing to Raphael. “How about you leave those items in my protection, while you enjoy the night, talk to your friends or whatever? For a price obviously,”  
“Hm, I don’t know-,” Raphael questioned, narrowing his eyes, thinking deeply.  
“Of course,” he sighed, placing his hat on his chest. “The name is Lucious Ferran III, you’ve likely heard of my father, Lucious Ferran Jr., a crook of a man if I’ve ever met one,”  
“Oh, yeah, my Grandpa’s mentioned him before,” Raphael exclaimed, widening his eyes.  
“That con man would never sell anything that wasn’t broken or fake at least,” Lucious stated, shaking his head angrily. “He ruined my Grandfather’s name, and even mine. Personally, I’m hoping to change that with more honest work. I assure you friend, I’m no con man, I sell service, medicine, and protection, and now I’d like to protect your goods from getting stolen by some devil lurking in the shadows,”  
“Okay, I think I got most of that,” Raphael conceded, giving a slightly confused nod. “I’m not sure I can pay though,”  
“Don’t worry about it,” Lucious assured, placing his hat back on his head, and then showing Raphael the hand. “You can pay with your friends when you want them back. Now then, would you please follow me,”  
Raphael began following after Lucious, a look of confidence on his face. Lucious looked up at the buildings to see a silhouette in the distance, looking down on them. Lucious rolled his eyes in annoyance, then smirked with glee.

To Be Continued………

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where I was really stuck, was what was happening with Mercedes. Considering how into the Bernagrid romance I was with the chapter 12, I had basically forgotten about what was going on with her, and hadn't been thinking about how to work with it, and then I ended up writing that Dimitri chapter, which took 2 weeks, so when I got to this one I was even further behind.
> 
> I then realized how much I felt I needed to set up or go through with the characters, so I ended up having to rework the story to fit more in, for this arc at least.


	15. The Lamp of Derdriu part IV: The joys of the night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ingrid and Bernadetta enjoy their first date, and Mercedes learns more about Olivia and Aria, all while dark forces work in the background.

Ingrid and Bernadetta exited Lorenz’s castle into the busy streets outside. They had changed into more casual wear, Ingrid wearing a light jacket similar to the one she normally wears, but without the armor, and Bernadetta dressed in what she would usually wear as opposed to her armor.  
It wasn’t quite as busy as the shopping or food districts, but it was still a time to be out. Many loving couples walked hand in hand under the lamps of the sidewalks, just on the edge of the shadowed streets. Ingrid and Bernadetta watched the pairs walking by, then tilted both their heads down opposite to each other and glanced towards the other.  
“So what should we do?” Bernadetta asked.  
“Well…, the others aren’t here yet, so they might still be shopping,” Ingrid stated.  
“Maybe we should wait for them?” Bernadetta added, slightly turning towards Ingrid.  
“Or we do know where they should be,” Ingrid added, turning likewise.  
“We’d probably run into them along the way,” Bernadetta added, reaching down for Ingrid’s hand.  
“They might even be busy enjoying themselves out there,” Ingrid added, doing likewise.  
They looked at each other, their faces turning pink, nervousness on their faces. They both let out a strong sigh, and shook their heads.  
“No, we couldn’t do that,” Ingrid stated, smiling a little.  
“Yeah…,” Bernadetta agreed, looking down a little, a light smile on her face, then leaning against Ingrid, carefully intertwining their arms, along with their already intertwined hands. “We could just go around the street a little,”  
“That sounds nice,” Ingrid stated, following suit and leaning against Bernadetta.  
They began to take a walk down the sidewalk, blending in with the other couples. A brief light shined in Ingrid’s eye from the other side. She glanced over to see what it was, but she only saw the people walking along the other side.  
“Is something wrong?” Bernadetta asked, her face close to Ingrid’s, worry in her eyes.  
“Nothing,” Ingrid assured, turning to Bernadetta and shaking her head with a smile on her face.  
They continued, enjoying the block for a while, comfortably leaning against each other. When they came around back to where they started, they found Raphael looking for them.  
“Bernadetta, Ingrid!” Raphael called out, a wide smile on his face. “How are you doing!?”  
“Fine!” They both replied, impulsively separating in surprise.  
“Um, Raphael…,” Bernadetta stated, walking up to him nervously. “Th-there’s something you should probably know,”  
“You guys are dating now, right!?” Raphael stated, making a joyous fist, the other hand on his hip.  
“Huh?” Ingrid and Bernadetta exclaimed, going white.  
“Dorothea was saying something about that at lunch!” Raphael stated, gesturing to them, patting himself on the stomach. “I’m happy for you two, and even better, we can hang out all the time! The three of us can hang out, I can hang out with Ignatz, and Bernadetta can hang out with Mercedes!”  
“Mercedes is going to kill me!” Bernadetta thought, her eyes widening at her mention.  
“Um….where is everyone right now?” Ingrid asked awkwardly, a finger raised  
“Oh, Felix and Dorothea are out shopping for weapons, and Mercedes and Ignatz are out looking for them,” Raphael explained, pointing back towards the shopping district.  
“Is everything okay?” Ingrid and Bernadetta asked, leaning forward.  
“Don’t worry too much about it,” Raphael assured, waving away the statement. “We all know they can handle themselves. Everything is fine, you two should enjoy the night, while I wait here in case they turn up looking for you,”  
“Um…-,” Ingrid responded, glancing at Bernadetta.  
“-Okay,” Bernadetta continued, the two of them walking off.  
“Did things go well shopping?” Ingrid asked rapidly, turning back to Raphael.  
“Don’t worry, everything is fine!” Raphael assured, waving away the statement again. “Just enjoy the night, nothing is wrong!”  
Bernadetta and Ingrid awkwardly left Raphael, unsure of what to think. It wasn’t long before they resumed locking their arms, and smiling. They looked to each other and gave a light peck. 

………

Mercedes came out dressed in a brown lace dress. Ignatz, Aria, and Olivia had been waiting for her in a room made of grey bricks, with a single wooden bed in the corner, a sleeping bag underneath it, a small kitchen on the other side of the room, a small shelf of books next to the bed, and a fancy sword on the wall opposed to the kitchen.  
“Wow,” Ignatz exclaimed, looking down, blushing a little.  
“You can gawk when you’ve changed,” Aria ordered, pushing Ignatz forward.  
“Aria!” Olivia exclaimed, eyes widened.  
“What?” Aria asked, raising an eyebrow. “We’re still on the job,”  
“These are our guests,” Olivia argued, arms crossed.  
“N-no, she’s right,” Ignatz admitted, stepping towards the bathroom. “I’ll be right back,”  
“Some of Olivia’s clothes should be in there, they should fit you well enough fountain boy,” Aria stated, turning the page of her tomb.  
“Thank you,” Ignatz said in return, closing the door to the bathroom.  
“Thank you so much,” Mercedes thanked, giving them a polite bow.  
“It’s our pleasure,” Olivia replied, a little uncomfortable, scratching the back of her head. “Sorry about the living space…, and Aria,”  
“Why me?” Aria asked, an eyebrow raised.  
“We can have that talk later,” Olivia replied, glaring at her sister.  
“I hope you two don’t mind my asking, but where might you be from?” Mercedes asked, gesturing towards them, a smile on her face.  
“There’s no problem at all,” Olivia replied, shaking her head. “Despite how we look, we were born in the Kingdom and raised in the Alliance for the most part,”  
Olivia walked over to the book shelf and pulled out a picture, while Aria sat on the bed to continue looking over her tomb. Olivia showed Mercedes a photo of an old merchant, roughly in his 40s, a woman of Duscur in her mid 30s, a toddler that resembled Olivia holding the merchant's hand, and a baby in the woman’s arms.  
“Our Father had once visited Duscur to procure sellable goods when he met our Mother. They quickly fell in love, and Father took her with him as his wife,” Olivia explained, guiding with her finger, a warm look on her face. “A few years later, they had me, and 2 years later, Aria. Six years after that, when the Tragedy of Duscur occurred, Father spent every expense to move into the Alliance under the radar of both the Kingdom and the Church, nearly spending his entire fortune. He and Mother ended up being poor, but they were still happy, and that happiness, that warmth, is the thing we remember most growing up,”  
Aria hid her face behind the tomb, hiding a small, but genuine smile. Olivia returned the picture to the shelf.  
“You must love telling that story,” Mercedes exclaimed, a strong smile on her face, her hands together.  
“I think I get it from Father,” Olivia commented, blushing a little. “He always loves to tell people as well,”  
“Nowadays it’s every word that comes out of his mouth,” Aria commented, a tired, but slightly happy, look on her face.  
“I actually have a friend who survived Duscur who’d love to hear that story,” Mercedes exclaimed, grabbing Olivia’s hands.  
“Really?” Olivia exclaimed, her eyes widened, a smile peering into her face. “Well, I hope I can tell it to them one day,”  
The bathroom door opened and Ignatz came out dressed in a red coat over a pink shirt with silver buttons that may be a bit too long for him, and matching pants that seemed a little tight in the wrong places and loose in others. The outfit also came with a pair of silver gloves.  
“How do I look?” Ignatz asked, embarrassment on his face.  
“It actually suits you fairly well,” Olivia stated, her eyes narrowed, and a little tired.  
“Cute,” Aria commented, a bit of laughing a little into her tomb.  
“You look great Ignatz,” Mercedes exclaimed, a bright smile on her face, looking over Ignatz. “It compliments you almost well as your normal clothes,”  
“Th-thank you,” Ignatz stated, blushing a little. He turned to Olivia. “I’ll return it as soon as I can,”  
“Oh...no you don’t have to do that,” Olivia denied, raising both hands.  
“The thought of a man having been in her clothes disgusts her,” Aria interpreted, a small smirk under her tomb.  
There was a knock on the door. Olivia immediately responded, opening the door to reveal a suit of armor with a massive beard.  
“I thought I might find you two here,” the beard exclaimed. “What have you two been doing?”  
“Just helping these two out Commander Bur/Beard,” Olivia and Aria stated, walking over and saluting him, Aria with much less enthusiasm.  
“There’s no time for that,” Commander Bur exclaimed, shaking his head. “We need every soldier and mercenary working tonight,”  
“What requires that much attention Commander Beard?” Aria asked, raising her hand like she’s in class.  
“You’re lucky I don’t fire you,” Commander Bur mumbled, huddling close to them. “It just came to our knowledge that around sundown, there was a fight between some strong individuals in an alleyway. One of them was taken in, but the others disappeared, evidently kidnapping a young woman as well,”  
“Did you catch any of that?” Ignatz whispered to Mercedes, an eyebrow raised, and a concerned look in his eyes.  
“Yep,” Mercedes replied, giving a nod, her eyes closed to increase her hearing. “I’ll give you the details in a minute,”  
“That sounds serious,” Olivia exclaimed, narrowing her eyes,, gripping her sword with one hand, and saluting with the other. “We’ll get on it right away,”  
“Is it really so serious if we’re hearing about it now?” Aria asked, narrowing her eyes.  
“Enough out of you,” Bur scolded, knocking her on the head before heading off. “Meet me back at headquarters when you’re able,”  
“It might be best if you two stay here the rest of the night,” Olivia stated, turning to Mercedes and Ignatz. “It seems things will be especially dangerous tonight,”  
“Sorry, we can’t,” Ignatz denied, shaking his head.  
“We need to find our friends to let them know,” Mercedes stated, a serious look on her face.  
“We could always-,” Olivia suggested, placing her hand on her chest.  
“They’ll be fine,” Aria interrupted, turning to the door, and glancing back at them. “Eyes has good ears,”  
“Eyes?” Olivia asked, following after Aria.  
They left, leaving Ignatz and Mercedes alone. Mercedes closed her eyes, listening for their footsteps. Once they were gone, Mercedes turned to Ignatz and gave him a nod.

………

On their way to the market, Ingrid and Bernadetta came across a group of people dancing in the street, with multiple lamps to light up the area, and carts with food for anyone who didn’t quite feel like dancing or had to rest. The air was filled with the smell of candles and whine. Ingrid and Bernadetta looked at each other, unsure of what to do, when they were pulled into the group by excited folk.  
Ingrid and Bernadetta immediately latched onto each other, one looking for protection and one to protect the other. Going along the noisy group, they began to dance with the other like stiff dolls.  
“What do we do?” Ingrid asked, glancing around them.  
“I don’t know, I don’t really like groups of people!” Bernadetta exclaimed, huddling close to Ingrid.  
“Um, okay, you’re leading, so just try to get us to the other side,” Ingrid suggested awkwardly, a bit of sweat on her face.  
“Can’t you lead?!” Bernadetta asked, looking at Ingrid with widened eyes.  
“I would, but…,” Ingrid answered, looking to the side. “I’m not very…,”  
“Ingrid…,” Bernadetta stated, looking at Ingrid with surprised eyes, before giving a nod. “Follow my lead, I’ll help you out, okay,”  
“Okay,” Ingrid agreed, giving a nod.  
Everyone was excited, dancing together as friends, loved ones, and complete strangers. It wasn’t long before Ingrid and Bernadetta got caught up in things, and loosened up a little.  
This, however, didn’t stop the two of them from dancing out the other side without being noticed. They sighed in relief, and then looked at each other inquisitively, wondering if the other was going to let go.  
They burst out laughing, enjoying the moment. Bernadetta gave Ingrid a twirl, and stopped, their hands interlocked.  
The crowds went silent at the sound of Ingrid’s tummy rumbling. Her face turned red, while Bernadetta just smiled before leading Ingrid on.  
They found a nice, open restaurant called The Open Crab, featuring their specialty, various foods served inside of crab shells for additional flavor. They both started with soup, Bernadetta unsure about the actual food.  
Ingrid smiled, and began to eat, encouraging Bernadetta to give it a try. They both enjoyed it, and decided to get an actual meal. Ingrid came back with two crabs for both of them, one containing a combination of meat, rice, and vegetables, while the other contained a salad.  
“You like to paint right?” Ingrid asked, taking a bite of her food.  
“I dabble on occasion,” Bernadetta answered, smiling awkwardly.  
“What do you usually paint?” Ingrid asked, leaning forward with interest.  
“I tend to do nature and other things,” Bernadetta answered, scratching her chin.  
“Can I see sometime?” Ingrid asked, relaxing a little to keep Bernadetta comfortable.  
“Um…,” Bernadetta responded, blushing a bit before giving Ingrid and smile and nod. “Okay,”  
“Thank you, I can’t wait to see what you have,” Ingrid exclaimed with a bright smile.  
They enjoyed the rest of their meal, even sharing a cake at one point before eventually getting up to pay. Bernadetta payed while Ingrid looked a little embarrassed.  
“Ya know, I can actually cook pretty well,” Bernadetta stated, turning to Ingrid when they were on their way out. “I could cook for you sometime,”  
“You don’t have to do that,” Ingrid stated, waving her hand in embarrassment.  
“I know, but I want to,” Bernadetta stated, pushing her fingers together nervously. “After all, I...I…,”  
“R-right,” Ingrid responded, blushing a little and looking down. “I’d love to enjoy your cooking sometime,”  
“I think you’ll like it,” Bernadetta stated, latching onto Ingrid’s side.  
They continued towards the shopping district, coming across a few small shops here and there. A fortune teller, a shop selling exotic plants, a shop selling horse care products, a small scale auction, etc.  
While shopping they came across a stuffed carnivorous plant. Bernadetta looked at it wantingly, but shook her head.  
“Do you want that?” Ingrid asked, pointing towards the bear.  
“It’s fine Ingrid,” Bernadetta denied, shaking her head. “We both know we shouldn’t be spending on needless things,”  
“I guess you’re right,” Ingrid agreed with a sigh.  
“But it would be a nice gift,” Ingrid thought to herself, placing her hand on her chin. “There has to be something I can do,”  
Ingrid took notice of a group of people in a circle nearby. It appeared to be a competition regulated by one of the guards, where people would fight until one opponent was able to touch the other.  
“Wait Bernadetta?” Ingrid asked, placing her hand on her shoulder. “There’s something I’d like to do,”  
Ingrid took off her jacket, and entered into the little competition. Bernadetta watched from outside the crowd, standing on top of a box to get a good view, lightly clapping her hands together so that Ingrid could see, but no one else could hear.  
Ingrid’s opponent was a young man. They had long, red hair in a braid, a green eye, an eyepatch, a feminine face, a dark grey parca over a loose shirt, black pants, and sandals.  
At their waist, they were carrying a rapier, and small, silver axe. The guard nearby gave them a dirty look, so they removed their parca and weapons, kicking off their sandals as well, and leaving them for the guard to watch over.  
Ingrid thought about how she should approach this person, their eye patch was on their left side, so it would be best to go for that. However, considering their weaponry and attire, they’re likely experienced, and would know to expect attacks from that.  
“Don’t they look familiar?” Ingrid thought to herself, eyes widening before she shook off the thought. “No, I need to focus right now,”  
“I’d rather not fight dishonestly this time, next time at the very least,” he stated, taking off their eyepatch to reveal it was only for appearances. “Right, Ingrid Brandl Galatea?”  
Ingrid recognized him. She hadn’t seen his face as clearly as she could’ve that day, but his voice, his distinct long, red hair, and piercing red eyes.  
The rapier and small Silver axe that struggled with her lances, it was Prince Narcyz of the Oddyssian Empire. Ingrid immediately felt so many emotions come over her: anger, fear, excitement that she might have an opportunity to stop him and Isadore, worry for her friends, curiosity, etc.  
“Begin!” the guard announced, signaling for them to start.  
They stood silent, both of them waiting for the other to make the first move. Ingrid stood at the ready, sweat falling off of her chin, her feet nudging slightly.  
Narcyz crossed his arms and closed his eyes, making himself completely open. The crowd began to get restless as they continued to stay silent.  
“I-...Ingrid!” Bernadetta called out nervously, using her hands to amplify her voice.  
“Friend of yours?” Narcyz asked, glancing Bernadetta’s way.  
In a flash, Ingrid’s fist almost made contact with Narcyz’s face, her face filled with rage, her eyes shrunken with rage and fear. Narcyz narrowly dodged the attack.  
Ingrid barraged Narcyz with attacks that he dodged like he knew the attack before it came. Narcyz tried to get a strike in, but Ingrid dodged, sliding around behind him.  
Ingrid attempted to strike from behind, but Narcyz rolled forward and transitioned into a slide so that he was pointed towards her. Ingrid’s foot was just millimeters away from Narcyz’s eye when he dodged by lifting his head back.  
The ground shattered, Ingrid’s left foot breaking though the brick road. The guard took a few steps back, too nervous to interrupt and let Ingrid know to stop. Narcyz knew Ingrid’s next move, and dashed to the side, avoiding the pieces of brick that Ingrid kicked up from the ground.  
Narcyz took the moment to sweep the leg, forcing Ingrid to jump. Narcyz attempted to grab her, but just as his hands almost reached her, she reached out her foot, and just barely jumped back.  
Taking the offensive, Narcyz rushed her, readying his hands to jab at her. Ingrid, taking initiative, rushed him as well.  
She definitely had a slight edge in speed, but he was more than prepared. Ingrid ignored the jabs and kneed Narcyz in the stomach just as he placed his hands on her shoulders so that he could slam his forehead into her’s.  
Narcyz gave Ingrid another headbutt, attempting to help her regain her senses, her shrunken eyes regaining normal shape. The two separated, falling over in the process.  
“Ingrid!” Bernadetta called out, rushing to Ingrid’s side, her hands on Ingrid’s face, fear in her eyes. “Are you okay?! What happened out there?!”  
“Narcyz,” Ingrid stated, glaring at Narcyz.  
“Narcyz?” Bernadetta exclaimed, looking towards him likewise, her eyes widened. “THAT Narcyz?”  
“You’re one of the craziest women I’ve ever met,” Narcyz commented, lifting his head and smiling, eyes narrowed. “And I met Nariko, seriously, in retrospect I’m glad I didn’t actually fight her. She would’ve bit throat out,”  
“What are you doing here?” Ingrid snapped, shifting to a crouch, Bernadetta’s arms around her back to support her.  
“Well…,” Narcyz replied, narrowing his eyes and glancing towards a group of guards starting to gather nearby. “You’ll have to have to follow me to find out,”  
Narcyz dashed to quickly grab his stuff, with Ingrid immediately giving chase. He grabbed his things and turned around, dashing the other way, grabbing Ingrid’s hand and pulling her along.  
Bernadetta grabbed Ingrid’s other hand, being pulled along as well. Ingrid and Bernadetta, rather confused, followed him into the nearest alleyway and beyond.  
In the crowd, Lucious Ferran III walked away, looking down like he saw nothing. He passed by a cloaked figure.  
“Will this be an issue, Isadore?” He asked, his eyes narrowed.  
“Don’t worry yourself, no matter Narcyz’s intentions, this should be another point for us in the long run,” Isadore responded, a smirk on his face.  
“They better not take that new sale you promised me,” Lucious threatened, glaring at Isadore.  
“Does that sale really matter in the long run though?” Isadore asked, placing his hands behind his head and walking away.  
“Isadore,” Lucious exclaimed, looking back at him, awe on his face before he sighed and went on his way. “No, I guess it doesn’t,”

To Be Continued………


	16. Lamp of Derdriu part V: the terrors in the shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything goes wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 17 will be a week late, but 18 will be the following week

Ignatz and Mercedes found Raphael waiting in front of Castle Derdriu. Their eyes widened as they saw him.  
“Hey guys!” Raphael called out with open arms.  
“Raphael!?” They both exclaimed, their faces dumbfounded. “What are you doing here?! Where’s Ingrid?!”  
“Oh, I let Ingrid and Bernadetta go on their date while I waited for you,” Raphael stated, pointing back towards the shopping district, a smile on his face.  
“What?” They exclaimed, their faces stunned.  
“I let Ingrid and Bernadetta go on their date while I waited for you,” Raphael repeated, unflinching.  
“Their…date?” they asked, lowering their chins, their eyes unfocused.  
“Yep, just like Dorothea said,” Raphael clarified, nodding in response.  
Ignatz and Mercedes were silent. Gripping their heads, they tried to process the information, squinting their eyes, their mouths open.  
“Wait a minute?” Ignatz asked, calming down a bit, his face more focused.  
“Where’s our stuff?” Mercedes asked, doing likewise.  
“Oh, I gave them to a nice man to look after in a dark alleyway,” Raphael stated, giving them a thumbs up, an assuring smile on his face.  
“You….you did what?” They both asked, their eyes widened.  
“I know it sounds bad, but-,” Raphael assured, gesturing to them.  
“Don’t,” Mercedes stated, raising her hand and looking the other way. “Just don’t,”  
“What is happening tonight?” Ignatz exclaimed, kneeling down, his head against the gate.  
“Is something wrong?” Raphael asked, looking a little worried.  
“I didn’t think I’d find you out here,” Marianne exclaimed, opening up the iron door. “You should come inside, it’s not safe out tonight,”  
“What about the others?” Mercedes asked, a concerned look on her face.  
“The guards will be on the lookout for them, you three should get inside where it’s safe,” Marianne insisted, giving them a look of assurance.  
“What happened?” Raphael asked, a stern look on his face.  
“There was a fight earlier, and they haven’t caught everyone involved yet,” Ignatz explained, looking up at Raphael.  
“That’s only part of it,” Marianne stated, shaking her head, her hand on her chest.  
“Huh?” The three responded, turning to her.  
“There’s been an explosion,” Marianne stated, a scared look on her face.

………

The heavy door slammed closed. Olivia, and Aria had entered the dungeon with Commander Bur leading the way.  
It was dark, with only just enough light to make anything out. The sound of water dripping was frequent, along with the sound of the three of them stepping in puddles.  
The dungeon was relatively empty, except for two guards heading out after having left a new prisoner, and the silhouette of another prisoner sleeping out cold. Commander Bur began leading them towards the back, where the unconscious prisoner rested.  
“The prisoner, from what I’ve been told, is quite skilled in both magic and weaponry,” he explained, glancing back towards them. “I want you two to keep an eye on him, and interrogate him when he wakes up,”  
“Will do, sir,” Olivia stated, saluting him.  
“We’ll do it, but is this really something you want two mercenaries doing?” Aria asked, turning the page, her eyebrow raised.  
“Aria!” Olivia exclaimed, turning back to her.  
“It’s quite alright,” Commander Bur assured Olivia, crossing his arms. “You see Aria, while soldiers would generally be a better option, Lucious Ferran III has especially strong influence in this city. So outsiders would be more helpful here, especially outsiders as loyal and pure as Olivia and subsequently you,”  
“An interesting thought, but I’d think Olivia and I cancel each out in terms of trustworthiness, wouldn’t you?” Aria asked, lifting her head up briefly.  
“Actually, the thought of you guarding the dungeon is more comforting than letting you loose on patrol with all the civilians,” Commander Bur remarked, feeling his beard before stopping in his tracks. “Anyways, here’s the prisoner, please keep an eye on them Olivia,”  
Commander Bur left, Aria glancing his way, her eyes narrowed. After he left, Olivia turned to Aria and crossed her arms.  
“You really need to respect authority Aria,” Olivia advised.  
“Authority doesn’t seem to respect me,” Aria pointed out, turning her head the other way.  
“That’s irrelevant,” Olivia stated, narrowing her eyes and placing herself in front of Aria. “ you need to take the high road, or this disrespect will never end,”  
“Good to know Father,” Aria remarked, closing her eyes and raising her chin.  
“I’m being serious Aria,” Olivia stated, placing her hand on Aria’s head. “You need to be more respectful,”  
“Maybe I’m just pickier about who I respect and how I respect them,” Aria groaned, crouching, looking down into her tomb.  
“Well, at some point, that needs to change,” Olivia affirmed, stepping behind Aria, back to back. “We have responsibilities to follow,”  
“Why do you have to be so stubborn?” Aria asked, glancing at Olivia with irritated eyes.  
“It’s part of my charm,” Olivia stated, glancing back at her sister with a smile.  
“Which is why you have no friends outside of your younger sister,” Aria remarked, giving a roll of the eyes.  
“I could say the same thing about you,” Olivia retorted, narrowing her eyes.  
“But you’d never say it first,” Aria retorted, closing her eyes and smiling confidently.  
“I guess you have me there,” Olivia sighed, slouching a little with a smile.  
There was this clicking sound in the background, the other prisoner kept clicking their teeth, otherwise sitting in silence. The sound of water dripping was just as prevalent, and just as annoying.  
Aria cringed at the increasing sounds echoing throughout the dungeon. Aria sat against the bars, her back to the designated prisoner, while Olivia stood next to her, her eyes focused on the unconscious prisoner.  
“What do you think we should have for breakfast tomorrow?” Olivia asked, raising her hand to her chin.  
“I don’t know, whatever’s in the cupboard I guess,” Aria exclaimed, shrugging off the question.  
“And WHAT is in the cupboard?” Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“If I tell you, you’ll want to buy something,” Aria replied, her eyes narrowed.  
“Depends on what’s in there,” Olivia insisted, glancing Aria’s way.  
“No, it depends on what you think we should have, and what we have is never enough,” Aria argued, shooting an eye at her sister, the other still focused on her tomb.  
“Well, I can’t have you eating a bunch of junk. You should be having something of worth,” Olivia argued back, turning her head the other way.  
“Or you could save some so that we can spend it to make more money,” Aria argued, a defeated look on her face.  
The ticking sound persisted, continuing to get louder and louder. The two sat in silence, Aria waiting for a response, a tired look on her face.  
“Sorry, I missed that last part,” Olivia apologized, her eyes widened.  
“I knew you’d say that,” Aria groaned, plopping her face into her tomb. “And what’s with all this ticking!?”  
Aria looked over at the prisoner in question, they looked off, like something strange was done to them. Aria’s widened as she felt a surge of energy.  
Aria closed her tomb and rushed to cover Olivia and her with a magic shield just as the ticking prisoner exploded in a massive burst of flames. Olivia, in the moment Aria put up the shield, broke down the door to the prisoner’s cell, and brought them under the protection of Aria’s shield.  
When the dust cleared, the dungeon had been destroyed. A good portion of the ceiling had caved in, every cell close to ground zero was destroyed, and water was flooding the room.  
Olivia picked up the prisoner, grabbed Aria by the hand, and dashed out of the dungeon, up the stairs, out of the building, and into the city streets. They were on the outskirts of the city, fairly close to the pier and the shopping districts.  
The light from the lamps reflected off of the water in a deep orange glow, like fire on the water. The streets were fairly empty, most people out and about in the more enjoyable parts of town.  
Aria dropped to the ground, breathing heavily, the adrenaline in her body wearing off. Olivia put the prisoner down, and moved to check on her sister.  
The sound of a blade leaving it’s sheath. Olivia turned around to get sent flying backwards.  
The Prisoner had grabbed Olivia’s sword from its sheath and swung it at her. Aria’s eyes shrunk, and she shot an inferno at the prisoner, creating an explosion almost as large as the one they just encountered. The prisoner rolled, dodging the blast, then dashed at Aria, sword pointed right at her.  
Just as the blade was about to reach Aria, an armored hand grabbed it, the blade wasn’t even dull, it was just a piece of metal shaped similar to that of a sword.  
“Excuse me?” Olivia exclaimed, elbowing the prisoner, knocking him back and taking her sword back in one quick move, her eyes completely calm, like she was a mother dealing with their child. “Even a spoon is deadly if you use it correctly. My sword is just as dangerous, you shouldn’t be using it so lightly,”  
“Shut up!” the prisoner shouted, their eyes like a wild animal. “Where is she?!”  
“Everything’s okay, we aren’t going to hurt you more than we already have,” Olivia assured, putting her sword away and stepping forward, showing the prisoner their hands.  
“Stay away!” they retaliated, shooting Thoron at Olivia.  
“Okay, okay,” Olivia assured, moving her head just slightly to dodge the attack. “Listen, we’re mercenaries working for Commander Bur of the Derdriu guard. We only want to help you,”  
“Like Hell you are!” the prisoner exclaimed, stepping back. “Where did you take her!?”  
“What do you mean Boar?” Aria asked, stepping forward, her eyes widened.  
“What did you call me?!” Felix exclaimed, glaring at Aria. “Don’t you dare compare me to the boar,”  
“It was over here!” someone called out.  
Metallic footsteps were heard rushing towards them, guards coming to check on what’s going on. Felix dashed into the nearest alleyway.  
Olivia sighed, not giving pursuit in favor of turning to her sister. In a flash, Aria hugged her sister, her head rested against her breastplate. Olivia held her little sister, letting her cry it out.

………

It was earlier in the day, the sun was only starting to set. Felix and Dorothea were shopping for weapons at a local store.  
“This seems good,” Dorothea suggested, examining a steel sword.  
“For Ingrid maybe,” Felix criticized, shaking his head. “The Death Knight and I will need higher quality swords than this,”  
“Hmph,” Dorothea responded, turning her head, and smirking a little. “Then maybe I’ll buy this for Ingrid instead,”  
“Go ahead, I’m certainly not stopping you,” Felix commented, his back turned to her as he examined a silver sword.  
“You really don’t understand those kinds of cues do you?” Dorothea commented, hunching down, looking at Felix with a tired look.  
“What?” Felix asked, turning to her with a confused look.  
“Oh nothing,” Dorothea answered, waving away the question.  
They finished gathering weapons and started heading back to the others. The crowds were thick with people heading home or just coming out to enjoy the coming night.  
“Maybe we should grab a quick snack on the way?” Dorothea asked, grabbing Felix’s arm and directing him towards the nearest food stall.  
“We just ate,” Felix denied, shaking his head and breaking free. “We’ve wasted enough time already,”  
“Why do I even bother trying with you sometimes?” Dorothea sighed, crossing her arms and pouting.  
Felix felt a dark cloud pass by him, shaking him internally. Felix turned around, looking into the crowds for whatever it was that he felt.  
“Is something wrong Felix?” Dorothea asked, taking notice and looking at him with worry.  
Felix’s eyes widened. In the crowd, a pair of brown eyes under a cloak stared directly at him.  
The figure smirked, heading towards the nearest alley. Instinctively, Felix gave chase, with Dorothea following not too far behind.  
Felix found them standing in the alley, waiting for him. The alley led to a dead end, leaving only one way out, the entrance.  
“Welcome Felix Frauldarius,” Isadore greeted, spreading his arms out and bowing. “It’s good to finally meet you in person,”  
“Isadore,” Felix called out, pulling out a silver sword, glaring at him.  
“Felix,” Dorothea called out, her back to Felix, and her hands ready for combat, one prepared for magic and the other carrying the steel sword from before.  
The entrance to the alley was blocked by a group of well armed guards. Dorothea’s cry fell on deaf ears as Felix was too focused on Isadore to notice.  
Felix charged Isadore, his sword at the ready. Isadore smirked and placed his hands on the walls of the alley.  
Suddenly, chains shot out of the wall, wrapping around Felix. He struggled, trying to break out, but before he could escape, Isadore hit the chains with a burst of lightning.  
The lightning flowed through Felix’s veins, attacking every cell in his body from every possible angle. Felix bit his lip, holding back screams of pain, he glared at Isadore, his eyes filled with rage.  
When the lightning ceased, the chains were undone, allowing Felix to plop on the ground, his body feeling like it was made of iron. Isadore grabbed Felix by the hair, and lifted his head up, so that he could look at Isadore’s shadowed face.  
“I think that went well, don’t you?” Isadore asked, resting his chin on his doll-like hand. “I didn’t have to use my trick on you,”  
Isadore redirected his attention as a few of the guards fell over with a thump. The guards were attacking Dorothea, but she was fighting back, using the sword from earlier, while punching and kicking at them. She even killed one of them by hitting them point blank with Thoron.  
Isadore sighed, and walked over to help out. Felix, seeing this, his head turned in that direction, felt a surge of adrenaline, and rushed Isadore once more.  
Before his sword could reach Isadore, it stopped, like he was trying to stab a ten foot thick wall of Wootz Steel. Isadore had grabbed Felix’s sword with a single hand.  
He seemed different however, the tattoos were twitching, growing, enveloping the hand into pure ink, and the gaps in his hand emitted the color purple. Isadore turned to Felix, his eyes glowing purple, an annoyed look on his face.  
“Why can’t you beasts ever know your place?” Isadore asked.  
Felix felt the pressure of the world slam into his head. The world went dark, Felix was only able to hear a few sounds here and there, Dorothea yelling, the sound of footsteps, Isadore speaking with someone, and then silence.

………

Ingrid and Bernadetta stood side by side, underneath the weak light of a lamp, staying just outside of the darkness. On the other side of the alleyway, staying just outside of the weak light, stood Narcyz.  
Ingrid and Bernadetta placed their hands on their weapons, for Ingrid, it was a wooden spear and a short sword, for Bernadetta, it was a wooden spear and a mini bow. They had only been carrying weapons for self-defense after all.  
Narcyz simply had his arms crossed, and leaned against the wall, giving the impression that he had no intention of fighting, but it was all a facade. Both Ingrid and Bernadetta could see it, both of his arms were crossed so that they were close to his weapons, his eyes paying close attention to the subtlest of details, like staring down a bear, and the tension in his muscles ready to explode. None of them were willing to make a move, nor were they willing to change positions, as both sides were aware that one wrong move could be their last.  
“Do you think I’d have brought you along to fight?” Narcyz asked.  
“You and Isadore have both shown to enjoy-,” Ingrid accused.  
“Isadore is the one who enjoys tricks and such,” Narcyz interrupted.  
“And you work with Isadore,” Ingrid called out.  
“Indeed, my Emperor and Father asked that I put up with him for the sake of the Empire,” Narcyz explained.  
“Your reasoning fails to change your current predicament,” Ingrid stated.  
“You are correct. However, circumstances are different than back in Galatea Territory, or even Aleil,” Narcyz explained.  
“So your duty has its limits,” Ingrid accused. “Do you have no shame?”  
“My duty is to my people, my family, and the Empire. I’ll do whatever I can for them, but I will admit, I will use loopholes on occasion when Father or his cohorts have less than pleasurable missions,” Narcyz explained.  
“Why serve him then?” Ingrid asked.  
“It is my duty, nothing more, nothing less,” Narcyz answered.  
“Despite this, your enemy stands before you, alive,” Ingrid accused.  
“Because I need your help with one of my loopholes, otherwise, I would gladly fight you to the death,” Narcyz explained.  
“Why would we help you?” Ingrid asked.  
“Because you have already lost, and if you’ve lost, then it’s best that you don’t lose more than you need to,” Narcyz explained.  
“We haven’t lost yet,” Ingrid argued.  
“I can say without a doubt that you won’t be allowed passage to Almyra,” Narcyz stated. “After Lorenz receives reports of you having tried to assault if not kill someone, and since you’ve been made silent by Isadore’s threat, it’ll be hard to explain this away,”  
“We can come up with something,” Ingrid stated, a bit of sweat falling down her face.  
In that instance, Ingrid felt anxious, loosening for a mere second. She blinked, and Narcyz’s rapier was at her throat, while Bernadetta’s wooden spear at his.  
“The only one whose evasion challenges mine is dead, and the only other warrior is carrying a wooden spear while being in fairly close proximity to me,” Narcyz commented, a cold look on his face. “Like that you’re already dead,”  
“Don’t be too confident,” Bernadetta threatened, her eyes ablaze. “I could kill you with this in less than a second,”  
“That’s if your crest activates before I kill you,” Narcyz commented, raising an eyebrow, and narrowing an eye.  
“Are you willing to take that bet?” Bernadetta asked, squeezing her wooden spear, and pressing it further against him.  
“You...,” Ingrid commented, with shock on her face.  
“Anyway,” Narcyz redirected the conversation, putting his rapier away and stepping back. “Even if you were able to make a proper lie to Lorenz, there are other things keeping you in this city,”  
“What?” Ingrid exclaimed, her eyes widened, lowing her weapon likewise.  
“The real thing I take issue with is your friend, Dorothea,” Narcyz sighed, a sad look on his face. “Isadore made contact with a powerful criminal by the name of Lucious Ferran III,”  
“Wait, THE Lucious Ferran III?” Bernadetta exclaimed, lowering her weapon in shock.  
“Who is that?” Ingrid asked, turning to Bernadetta, concern and anxiousness on her face.  
“He’s a terrible man. He deals in weapons, drugs, and-,” Bernadetta explained anxiously, grabbing Ingrid’s hands.  
“-and people,” Narcyz finished, a disgusted look on his face, his arms crossed yet again. “He sells slaves of any kind, they say he even started his business as a pimp. Most of that business is out of Fodlan, which is why he’s often found hiding in Derdriu. Isadore made many deals with him when we arrived, and one of them…was the sale of famous songstress, Dorothea Arnault,”  
“No,” Ingrid and Bernadetta exclaimed, shock on their faces.  
“Lucious has her locked up somewhere at the moment, but tomorrow night he’ll be shipping her out to an exclusive buyer, Narcyz explained, looking down a little.  
“Where is she?!” they both asked, stepping forward.  
“I can’t tell you that,” Narcyz answered, stepping away from the wall. “Isadore has kept that information secret, even from me,”  
“Wait?” Ingrid asked, her eyes widening. “What about Felix?!”  
“Isadore has plans for him,” Narcyz stated, walking away, into the darkness.  
“Stop!” Bernadetta threatened, pointing her Mini Bow. “What are they?!”  
“I have no reason to tell you that,” Narcyz stated, turning to them. “Welcome to the night, Lady Galatea,”  
The light of the lamp faded, leaving everyone in darkness. Bernadetta shot at the silhouette of Narcyz, but he dodged, and disappeared into the night.  
“What do we do?” Bernadetta asked, turning to Ingrid, desperation and fear on her face.  
“I….,” Ingrid responded, confusion, fear, and anger clouding her eyes, her mouth wide open, her eyes looking around for a solution. “For now we should speak with Lorenz. He has the most resources to help us at this point,”  
“Okay,” Bernadetta agreed, giving a nod, and gripping Ingrid’s hand.  
The two ran at full speed, the air flowing through their hair. They had no time to waste if they were going to save Dorothea.

………

“Where is she?!” Felix asked, holding a sword to the guard’s throat.  
“I...I told you, I don’t know-,” the guard tried to explain before Felix slit his throat.  
Felix stood, bathed in the blood of many guards, as well as the night that engulfed the town. Rage filled his face, like a wild animal.  
He grit his teeth, narrowing his eyes. He turned around, observing the silhouette of Lorenz’s castle. He picked up weapons and bits of armor off of the soldiers, and rushed off, heading towards his latest target.

To Be Continued………


	17. Lamp of Derdriu Part VI: The Deer vs Felix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isadore and Lucious have a talk, Felix fights his friends, and Ingrid prepares for battle

It was a few days ago, Isadore and Lucious Ferran III were in a fancy restaurant, engulfed in the colors red and brown. Red drapes, red cushions, dark wooden chairs.  
The smell of candles filled the air. Many beautiful men and women filled it’s chairs and booths, their beauty accentuated by the light of a glass chandeleur in the center of the room.  
Isadore and Lucious sat in a booth, separated off from the rest of the venue, and protected by Derdriu Guards. Despite the separation, Lucious watched the people around the restaurant, his eyes narrowed with intent.  
“Do you think you’ll find a sale here of all places?” Isadore asked, resting his chin on both of his hands, sarcasm in his voice.  
“It’s unlikely my friend. However, there may be a shpehard searching for lost lambs, or lost lambs looking to join the flock,” Lucious explained, looking around the room, before glancing towards Isadore. “It’s my job to find those lost lambs for the shephards,”  
“How NOBLE of you,” Isadore remarked, tipping his head, raising his chin and resting it on his hand.  
“I would prefer that you not patronize your gracious business partner,” Lucious replied, looking at Isadore with a stern look on his face.  
“Do you say that to all your business partners?” Isadore asked, laying back against his seat and smirking.  
“Not with paying partners, partners who actually have what they’ve promised, or partners who don’t have questionable allies,” Lucious explained, taking a sip of rum with lemon.  
“I think I’m well off on that front,” Isadore stated, placing his hands behind his head.  
“So you have money, Dorothea Arnault, and Narcyz isn’t going to betray ME?” Lucious asked, gesturing towards Isadore with his glass.  
“No, yes, and irrelevant,” Isadore responded, counting with his fingers.  
“If you have her, then where is she?” Narcyz asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“On her way here, with her friends,” Isadore answered, smiling brightly.  
“So you’re that confident that you can catch her, and that your partner won’t be an issue?” Lucious asked, narrowing his eyes, looking at Isadore like he’s an idiot.  
“Indeed,” Isadore responded with a nod.  
“You have me intrigued, do tell, what is your strategy?” Lucious asked, snapping his fingers for his guards to be at the ready.  
“You must really want this deal to succeed?” Isadore asked, leaning forward, resting his arm on the table.  
“Yes,” Lucious responded, glancing at his guards again.   
“How much time do you have?” Isadore asked, glancing up at the night sky through a nearby window.  
“You have an hour,” Lucious stated, an unamused look on his face.  
“To get started, what is the most important key to good strategy?” Isadore asked, raising a finger.  
“I would think it’s understanding your opponent and predicting their movements,” Lucious answered, taking another sip.  
“Close,” Isadore stated, pointing at him. “Very close, that’s part of it. The real key, for all in tense and purposes, is to have back up plans,”  
“Back up plans?” Lucious asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“Indeed,” Isadore responded, crossing his arms confidently. “You’ll never be able to simply predict every move that happens to the tiniest detail. Rather, one should have a base plan, and have multiple back up plans for when things don’t go quite their way,”  
“Make some distance, and clear out the restaurant,” Lucious ordered his bodyguards, gesturing to them before returning his interest to Isadore. “Tell me more about these, ‘back up plans’ of your’s?”

………

Darkness engulfed the city of Derdriu, only a single lamp flickered outside, in front of Castle Derdriu. A shadow made contact with the light, Felix stood atop the nearest building, carrying two swords at his side and a shield on his back.  
Felix knelt down, observing the castle, and saw a small, faint light from a window on the left side of the third floor. The image of Ingrid and the other’s flashed in his mind, but he shook it off, only focusing on Dorothea, Lorenz, and Isadore.  
Inside, Lorenz was sitting in his chamber, working as he had been previously. He was writing, when he heard the subtle sounds of someone cutting open the lock on the window, and the window opening.  
Quietly, he reached for the spear hidden under the table, and readied his other hand. Lorenz narrowed his eyes, a bit of sweat on his face.  
“What brings you here?” Lorenz asked.  
“Where is she?” Felix asked, glaring at Lorenz, his sword pointed at him.  
“Who might you be referring to?” Lorenz asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“Don’t play dumb, your guards took her away right in front of me!” Felix accused, poking the sword against him.  
“Apologies,” Lorenz responded, shaking his head. “We’ve been having issues with corrupt members of the guard at the moment,”  
“Isn’t that convenient?!” Felix asked, gritting his teeth.  
“I see,” Lorenz sighed, looking down a little. “So that’s the way it is,”  
“We’re not done talking yet!” Felix stated, glaring at Lorenz, his eyes glowing like fire.  
“No, I believe we are,” Lorenz stated, taking a deep breath.  
Lorenz had to be smart about this, Felix had the physical advantage, and was more well prepared. It didn’t help that he wasn’t in the best of positions at the moment.  
Felix’s eyes widened, and he stabbed at Lorenz’s empty hand. He just barely missed, as Lorenz gave his spear a quick spin, giving himself a weak cut on his leg in the process, and knocked the sword off course.  
Lorenz jumped away, creating a bit of distance between him and Felix. Despite his efforts, Felix was able to leave a small cut on Lorenz’s shoulder.  
Lorenz created Fire in his hand just as Felix continued the charge. Rather than attack Felix directly, Lorenz hit the ground with the fire, creating a blast, that knocked Felix backwards, and created a hole in the floor  
Lorenz leapt through the hole he created, allowing him a quick escape route. Felix quickly regained his footing, and dashed towards the hole.  
Agnea’s Arrow came down, and the floor shattered. Lorenz had been aware that Felix would regain his footing quickly, so he used Agnea’a Arrow to destroy his footing completely.  
Felix had been able to dodge the Arrow, but now he was in the air, and limited in his ability to move. As soon as he had seen a glimpse of Felix, Lorenz shot Fire at him again.  
Felix, having brought a shield with him, prepared for the blast. The Fire hit the shield, and exploded in a brilliant light, slamming Felix into the wall, and destroying the shield.  
Determined, Felix rolled as he landed, quickly regaining his composure. Lorenz had slipped out the door as soon as he had used Fire.  
Felix gave chase, dashing out into the hallway. His eyes sharpened, and he cut to his left.  
Lorenz had been lying in wait just outside the door, prepared to attack. He jumped backwards, pushed back by Felix’s blade.  
It was slightly off target, but Lorenz was still able to attack with Ragnarok. Felix caught wind of the coming attack, and jumped back just before the attack came.  
The smoke cleared, and Felix shot Thoron at Lorenz. Lorenz rolled out of the way, but Felix quickly dashed after him, giving him little time to get his bearings.  
Lorenz’s eyes shrunk, fear flooding his very being. The Crest of Gloucester activated, and Lorenz unleashed an explosion of fire unlike the attacks from before.  
The windows shattered, glass flying into the air like snow on a warm day. The entire flooring, and the outer wall in Felix’s direction had been destroyed.  
Even Lorenz had lost his footing, as he had his spear lodged in the wall on his side, using it to hold himself up. As soon as Felix saw the Crest of Gloucester, he had dashed forward, gaining some distance between himself and the coming blast.   
The flooring underneath Felix hadn’t been safe, forcing Felix to hold on by lodging his sword in the floor. Felix got up, and looked towards Lorenz.  
Lorenz grit his teeth, for the moment he seemed to be trapped. If he dropped below, Felix would catch him easily, and if he tried to fight back from his position, it would be a hopeless effort. Lorenz looked Felix in the eyes, they both knew this would be the end of the game.  
“Lorenz!” Marianne called out.  
Marianne had appeared, dressed in light, leather armor, and accompanied by 6 mercenaries. She carried Blutgang in one hand, and had her other hand placed behind her back.  
“Marianne!” Lorenz called out, shaking his head, his eyes widened.  
“Stay out of this Marianne!” Felix threatened, pulling out his second sword, and pointing it towards her.  
“Lorenz!” Raphael called out from below.  
Raphael, Ignatz, and Mercedes stood just below Lorenz, looking up at him. Mercedes’s eyes widened.  
“Felix!?” she called out.  
“STAY OUT OF THIS!” Felix repeated for everyone to hear.  
“Raphael!” Marianne called out, determination in her eyes.  
“Got it!” Raphael responded, ramming against the wall with tremendous pressure.  
“Marianne don-!” Lorenz begged, falling from the wall, and into Raphael’s arms. “Put me down this instant!”  
Without a word, Raphael dashed off, Ignatz and Mercedes following after him, confusion on their faces. Back on the upper floor, Felix glared at Marianne, his two swords ready.  
“Back me up when you need to,” Marianne ordered the guards, shooting them a glance.  
Marianne focused her eyes on Felix. No more words would be spoken between the two of them.  
Felix rushed Marianne, going heavily on the offensive. Mariane kept her hand behind her back, and used a defensive stance.  
She didn’t necessarily have to beat Felix, though that would make things easier, she simply needed to keep him at bay as long as possible. Blutgang, even on the defensive, would eventually break Felix’s steel swords if she kept it up.  
Marianne, while keeping up her defensive stance, continuously sidestepped, attempting to get behind Felix. If she could block his escape route, it would be all the better to gain an edge on him, with the mercenaries to his back, and Marianne to his front, it could be possible to catch him, though Marianne wasn’t too optimistic about that possibility.  
Felix continued to rush her, his focus completely captivated by her. He continuously jabbed and cut, aiming for any openings to efficiently remove his obstacle. He could’ve just escaped down the hole immediately, but then his back would’ve been to his opponents.  
Felix left no opening for her to attack or strike back. Their battle was almost like a dance, their movements were quick, smooth, and intertwined with one another.  
Felix had the clear advantage, leaving the occasional cut on Marianne’s cheek. Marianne didn’t back down, if Felix left a cut on her cheek, she kicked him back.  
This dance continued, Felix beginning to lose his composure, his target getting farther and farther away. An opening, Felix realized his mistake. In his agitation he left a clear opening for Marianne to get around him.  
Marianne realized this as well, despite her tactics, she knew that it would be a mistake not to take the opening. She dashed at full speed and shifted her position to behind Felix.  
The mercenaries knew what to do and charged in, prepared to kill him for their employers. In an instant, Felix spun around, and literally pushed them back, his swords clashing with their armor.  
He swung his swords at Marianne one more time, his swords clashing with Blutgang, and shattering, leaving only a bit of blade at the hilts, barely worthy of being called daggers. Despite this loss, Felix plunged those hilts into Marianne’s breast plate, wounding her just enough to get her out of the picture.  
He then tripped her, and stole Blutgang from her hands. He escaped down to the next floor, leaving Marianne to be taken care of by the mercenaries.

………

Ignatz and Mercedes continued to run, Raphael having long passed by them. They were running short on breath when Mercedes stopped.  
“Mercedes?” Ignatz questioned, stopping and looking back at her.  
“He’s going to catch up soon, you should go,” Mercedes explained, turning around, a look of affirmation on her face.  
“Mercedes you can’t-,” Ignats urged, reaching out for her.  
“I’m not going to fight him,” Mercedes stated, glancing Ignatz’s way. “I’m going to talk to him,”  
“Didn’t you hear him back there?” Ignatz asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. “He didn’t seem like he was in his right mind,”  
“Maybe so, but Felix is a fellow lion,” Mercedes stated, clasping her hands together and closing her eyes. “He must have a reason for what he’s doing, we just don’t know what it is yet,-,”  
A gust of wind blew against her face. Ignatz took a step back, and Mercedes looked up, a pleasant look on her face.  
“-right, Felix?” Mercedes asked.  
“Out of my way Mercedes,” Felix ordered, putting Blutgang away. “I don’t want to fight you if I don’t have to,”   
“And I, you,” Mercedes agreed, gesturing to him.  
“Glad we’re in agreement,” Felix stated, trying to walk passed her.  
“Felix, what’s going on?” Mercedes asked, stepping in his way.  
“You want to know what’s going on?!” Felix asked, pointing in the direction Lorenz and Raphael went. “He’s going to tell me where Dorothea is or else!”  
“Dorothea?” Mercedes asked, her eyes widened, putting her hand to her mouth in surprise.  
“It’s all my fault,” Felix lamented, slouching and placing his hand on his head. “We were out shopping….then I let Isadore lead me into that trap….and then guards, just swarmed us….a-and they took Dorothea,”   
“Isadore?!” Mercedes exclaimed, confusion on her face, both her hands raised together in shock and fear.  
“That’s enough!” Felix shouted, pushing her aside. “Get out of my way!”  
“Hey!” Ignatz exclaimed, stepping in to punch Felix in the face.  
Felix didn’t even flinch, he just pushed Ignatz aside. Ignatz’s eyes widened, in those brief seconds, he felt paralyzed, helpless, weak.  
“Ignatz!” Mercedes called out, catching him, worry on her face.  
A roar came from behind them. Raphael charged through the halls, like an angry bear.  
He met with Felix and slammed his fists down, forcing Felix to jump back. Cracks were left where Raphael’s fists collided. Raphael stood up, anger on his face.  
“Sorry about this Felix, but even out of school, the Golden Deer are family,” Raphael stated.  
“Raphael, what about Lorenz?” Ignatz asked, stepping forward.  
“Don’t worry, he’s in better hands,” Raphael assured with a smile before preparing a brawler stance. “I won’t let you down again,”  
“Out of my way,” Felix threatened, making a brawler stance himself. “If this gets serious, I might have to seriously hurt you,”  
Raphael scooped at the ground and launched stones into the air, hurling them at Felix. Felix, rather then dodge outright, charged the stones, sidestepping and adjusting to avoid getting hit by them.  
Through the storm, Raphael’s right fist burst through like thunder, resounding into Felix’s ear as he barely avoided the attack. Like lightning, Felix jabbed at the soft part of the elbow joint.  
With a gust of wind, Raphael’s left knee shot towards Felix, forcing him to jump backwards. The force of Raphael’s leg was so strong that Felix felt just a hint of the impact, pushing him back even further.  
Raphael’s right arm went limp, feeling the impact of Felix’s jab. Despite this, Raphael remained unflinching, staring Felix down.  
Raphael strained to think, gritting his teeth, if he took Felix head on, it would probably be bad. Raphael shrugged, and grabbed the nearest support pillar on his left, holding it with one arm and his torso.  
Raphael swung the pillar down diagnoly towards Felix, damaging both the walls and floor at the same time. Felix slid underneath the attack, while getting closer to Raphael.  
Raphael swung towards Felix horizontally, but he responded by jumping up the wall, and landing onto the pillar after it made impact with said wall. Raphael slammed the pillar upwards, trying to slam Felix into the ceiling, but Felix used this as an opportunity to slide and fall towards Raphael.  
Felix aimed to attack the right joint in Raphael’s neck, only for Raphael to headbutt him in the torso. Felix was sent sprawling backwards, rolling across the floor like a boulder falling off of a mountain.  
Felix found his footing, and grabbed at the floor, dragging along until he stopped. Felix looked up at Raphael and narrowed his eyes.  
Raphael’s left arm, like his right left, went limp. When Felix had been knocked back, he had used his brief milliseconds to jab Raphael in his left elbow joint, a complicated move, helped by the fact that Raphael is a large target.  
The pillar fell to the floor, the sound of it’s impact echoing through the halls. Mercedes and Ignatz looked on with worry and horror for the friend.  
Raphael roared at the top of his lungs, he gave the pillar a massive kick, scattering it into pieces, and shooting them at Felix. Raphael then charged, keeping just behind the speeding rocks.  
Rather then dodge through them, Felix evaded each stone while skipping backwards. When Raphael came through, Felix quickly slid down by him, and jabbed him in the leg.  
Raphael roared, using his last leg to balance himself, Raphael flailed his limp arms at Felix. Felix ducked down, avoiding the attack as it crashed into the walls.  
Felix shot towards Raphael’s remaining leg, prepared to disable it, when Nosferatu knocked him back, away from Raphael. Raphael then slammed his arms down, forcing Felix to roll back further.  
Felix, looking back, caught a glimpse of Mercedes, standing at the ready, glaring at him. Ignatz was in the background, terror on his face.   
Felix was just out of range of both her and Raphael, yet the both of them were ready to attack. Felix grit his teeth, and narrowed his eyes. Lorenz was getting farther and farther away by the second.  
“Felix,” Mercedes called out, stepping forward slightly. “I’d believe that Lorenz would be involved in what’s happening, but I doubt they would entrust him with what you need. Please stop this senseless violence,”  
“Shut up!” Felix shouted, pulling out Blutgang. “I don’t have time to waste on weaklings!”  
Felix cut at the nearest window, and jumped through it, breaking out in the opening air. He rolled out of the way, as Raphael jumped through the hole, increasing its size and getting cuts on his face.  
Felix jabbed Raphael in his good leg, keeping him on the ground. Felix pointed Blutgang and his other hand at the hole, glaring at Mercedes.  
“Felix,” she called out, sadness on her face.  
“I’d rather you not get hurt,” Felix threatened.  
“I could say the same thing to you,” Ingrid threatened, standing at the door to the mansion, Steel Lance in hand, glaring at Felix.

………

Ingrid and Bernadetta had been running towards the castle, when a massive explosion came from the inside. They both looked at each other with widened eyes, Bernadetta looked a little scared, but she quickly shook it off.  
They both nodded, and continued at full speed. They reached the gate, but it was closed tight.  
“The door’s locked!” Bernadetta exclaimed, pushing against, turning to Ingrid, desperation in her eyes.  
“Don’t worry,” Ingrid assured, running over to the fence part. “We’ll just have to-!”  
At that moment, Raphael burst out of the main doors, Lorenz in his arms. The two pairs locked eyes, surprise on their faces.  
Before they could respond, Raphael rushed to the main gate, opened it, left Lorenz outside with Ingrid and Bernadetta, and rushed back to the building.  
“Lorenz, what’s going on?!” Ingrid asked, turning to him.  
“That’s what I want to know!” Lorenz shouted, grabbing Ingrid by the collar of her jacket, tears in his eyes. “Why is your vassal running around through my castle, why is Marianne’s life in danger, why are both Raphael and Ignatz being placed in harm's way, and why is this somehow my fault!?”  
“My vassal?” Ingrid asked, visibly confused.  
“Felix!” Lorenz exclaimed, gritting his teeth, sweat on his face.  
Ingrid’’s eyes widened, her eyes moving from side to side. She closed her eyes, took a breath, and opened them, a calm look on her face.  
“Don’t worry, everything’s going to be okay,” Ingrid assured, placing her hands on Lorenz’s shoulders. “I’ll fix everything,”  
“Do you think I can trust you after everything that’s happened!?” Lorenz exclaimed, tightening his grip, and narrowing his eyes.  
“No, I don’t need you to trust me” Ingrid stated, removing Lorenz’s hands from her collar, then pushing him over to Bernadetta. “Keep him safe!”  
“O-okay!” Bernadetta exclaimed, a little surprised.  
Ingrid handed the both of them her short sword and wooden lance for extra protection, while she needed a better weapon for whatever situation she had in mind, and began climbing up the fence by diagonally using the bars as steps and grips. Once she reached the top, she slid down, and rushed towards the building.   
When inside, Ingrid ran towards the stairs on the right. Along the way, she opened every door she passed until she found what looked to be a storage room.   
It didn’t have much, but there was a Steel Lance inside. She quickly grabbed the lance, and ran out of the room.  
Ingrid was about to head upstairs to the source of the explosion, when she heard a great roar from the other side of the building. She followed the sound until she heard a crashing sound headed outside of the building.  
Ingrid took the nearest doorway, rushing out to see Felix pointing his sword at Mercedes, and a paralyzed Raphael. Ingrid stopped in her tracks, and pointed her lance at him.

To Be Continued………


	18. The Lamp of Derdriu Part VII: Ingrid vs Felix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ingrid and Felix battle it out at night, the light only peering through

The sun shined over the great plains. Felix rode on horseback, heading towards a dark forest.  
He suddenly stopped, having heard the sound of galloping behind him. He turned around to see Ingrid following his path.  
“What are you doing here?” he asked, glaring at her, irritation in his voice.  
“I thought you might need some help,” Ingrid stated, stopping next to him and smiling.  
“Hmph, I can handle this alone,” Felix stated, turning his head the other way.  
“Even so, I think it would be good to have some help just in case,” Ingrid urged, having her horse slowly move forward.  
“This isn’t some normal scouting mission you know,” Felix argued, moving along as well. “I’d rather you not get hurt,”  
“I could say the same thing to you,” Ingrid remarked, smiling confidently.  
They both picked up speed, and charged ahead into the shadows under the trees. The last glimpse of light barely visible from the foliage above them.  
The lamp outside of Castle Derdriu flickered, it’s light rather faint. Felix and Ingrid were staring each other down  
Felix slowly walked over, placing himself in opposition to Ingrid, his entire body focused on her. Mercedes and Ignatz stepped outside of the building, observing the confrontation.  
“Mercedes, Ignatz,” Ingrid called out, her face unmoving. “Take Raphael somewhere safe,”  
“But what about-,” Ignatz asked, reaching out.  
Mercedes placed her hand in front of him and shook her head. They struggled to pick Raphael up, as his body was quite heavy but they managed, and took him inside.  
“Aren’t you going to help them?” Felix remarked.  
“I think there’s someone who needs my help more right now,” Ingrid stated, looking him down.  
“Strange, it doesn’t look like your helping at all,” Felix remarked, doing likewise.  
“Felix, Lorenz isn’t responsible for Dorothea’s capture, a man named Lucious Ferran III is behind this,” Ingrid explained, a sympathetic look on her face.  
“Is that so?” Felix asked, raising his chin slightly. “And how do you know Lorenz wasn’t involved?”  
“Lorenz was willing to consider letting us through, he’s been good to us, and he cares greatly about his friends,” Ingrid explained, placing her lance to rest, and gesturing to Felix with her other hand.  
“An act, that’s all it was,” Felix denied, leaning his head forward, slightly hunched over, his chin lowered. “His guards attacked us,”  
“They were corrupt-,” Ingrid argued, narrowing her eyes, placing her hand on her chest.  
“And why are there SO MANY corrupt guards to the point where it’s gotten THIS BAD, and Lorenz has yet to do anything about it!” Felix argued, his eyes widened, taking a step forward.  
“Lucious Ferran-!” Ingrid tried to argue, leaning forward, desperation on her face.  
“Enough about this ‘Lucious Ferran III’!” Felix shouted, dramatically waving away her statement. “Do you know if this person even exists?! Where did you even hear about him from anyway!?”  
“......Narcyz,” Ingrid sighed, a defeated look on her face.  
“And you believed him!?” Felix exclaimed, placing his hand on his head and narrowing his eyes. “This is what Isadore does, he lures you in with easy bait, and manipulates you! How do you know this isn’t one of his tricks!?”  
“Narcyz said-,” Ingrid tried to explain, taking a deep breath, placing her hand at her side.  
“Another trap, don’t give it a second thought,” Felix remarked, shaking his head.  
“Felix, we don’t have time for this, Dorothea’s in danger!” Ingrid argued, annoyance on her face, her free hand starting to move towards her lance.  
“I couldn’t agree more, yet you continue to waste my time while Lorenz gets away,” Felix remarked, pointing his sword at her, and then down the street.  
“You won’t listen to reason will you?”Ingrid sighed, looking down slightly, then looking back at Felix, her hands on her lance.  
“Don’t pretend you’re listening to reason!” Felix shouted, gritting his teeth.  
“I never wanted to fight you like this,” Ingrid stated, taking position, her feet ready to charge, her hands on the lower and upper parts.  
“Yet you stand in my way,” Felix stated, taking position to charge, both of his hands carrying Blutgang.  
They weren’t opponents they could take lightly, thinking back to the other nights like this, when they sparred together, prepared for anything. It never occurred to them that they were preparing for this battle.  
The light nearby flickered again, and for a brief moment, they saw each other as children, readying for battle. When the light flickered off again, they charged.  
Ingrid lunged her lance at Felix, letting one hand go to extend it further. Felix sidestepped the attack to his left, and cut at Ingrid horizontally.  
Ingrid leaned back slightly, avoiding the blade. At the same time she placed her other hand on the back of her lance, and gritting her teeth, heavily swung the lance at Felix horizontally.  
Felix dropped down, avoiding the attack, then quickly jabbed up at Ingrid. Ingrid had already let go of her lance, and sidestepped the jab.  
Felix let one hand off of his sword and grabbed Ingrid by the wrist as she tried to get close to her lance. He pulled her in, attempting to get a close jab in.  
Ingrid barely avoided the attack, getting a good cut across her left cheek. Ingrid gave a twirl and thrust her elbow towards Felix’s head.  
Felix easily avoided the attack, but he knew that wasn’t the real attack. When Ingrid twirled, Felix had let go of her wrist, but she grabbed on and twisted his wrist.  
Felix reached his sword over, attempting to stab Ingrid in the back. Ingrid had an opening however, and let go of Felix, dodging the direction of his twisted wrist.  
Felix was prepared however, and dropped the sword, grabbing it with his mouth, and swinging down towards Ingrid, while untwisting his hand with his other. Ingrid dodged the attack, and kicked up her lance from the ground.  
Felix, having fixed his wrist, grabbed his sword with both hands, and swung down, just as Ingrid grabbed her lance mid-air. Blutgang glowed, clashing against the body of the lance.  
A young Ingrid lay in her bed, no light was in her room outside of the faint light coming from the crack of her door. She only wore her nightgown, her eyes tear stained.  
“Ingrid!” Felix called out.  
“Go away!” Ingrid replied, annoyance on her face.  
“I’m not leaving until you come out of this room Ingrid!” Felix stated.  
“Then you can wait forever, because I’m not coming out!” Ingrid shouted back, gripping her bed.  
“You know you have to come out at some point!” Felix argued, knocking on her door harder.  
“That Ingrid is long gone, she died with Glenn!” Ingrid argued back, tears in her eyes.  
“You won’t listen to reason will you?” Felix sighed.  
“Don’t pretend you’re listening to reason!” Ingrid shouted, throwing her pillow at the door.  
“If you’re close to the door, get back,” Felix ordered  
“What?” Ingrid asked, eyes widened.  
Light burst into the room, engulfing everything to the point where Ingrid couldn’t see. The light of Blutgang was bright, making it hard to see.  
If they went on like this, Ingrid’s lance would be split in two. With all her might, Ingrid scraped her lance away, only losing the pointed piece in the process, making her weapon not too dissimilar to a metal staff.  
The previous attack left Felix open, as for a brief few milliseconds, his blade would be down. Ingrid repositioned herself and slammed her staff into the side of Felix’s left shoulder.  
At the same time, Felix had cut upwards, grazing Ingrid’s left arm. In response to each other’s attacks, they both jumped backwards.  
As soon as their feet touched the ground, they charged forward yet again. Ingrid changed staff position to where her hands were closer to the middle, allowing for her to spin her weapon more easily, while Felix switched to one hand for lighter attacks with less might. They clashed, their weapons flowing like two twisters colliding together.   
Felix repeatedly cut at Ingrid as fast as he could with intense accuracy. He furiously sought out an opening, her shoulder, leg, head, wherever he could find one.  
Ingrid stood strong, blocking each attack with the spin of her lance, specifically attacking the flat side of Felix’s blade, knocking it away each time it got close. Ingrid kept close, despite her weapon, seeking to disable Felix’s weapon.  
Ingrid pushed forward, pressing her staff against the side of Blutgang, keeping it down for just a few seconds. She then slammed the other end at Felix’s right shoulder.  
Felix took the shot to his shoulder, gritting his teeth, and standing his ground. He changed his sword's position, and began cutting upwards, trying to weaken her weapon or create an opening.  
Ingrid’s weapon was pushed upwards, but Ingrid immediately responded. She pushed it forward and down, dragging Felix’s weapon towards the middle, forcing the both of them into another clash.  
Felix tried to shove her with his shoulders, but she was expecting that and pushed back. Felix had the edge in terms of strength, but Ingrid held her ground.  
They headbutt each other, looking each other in the eyes. Felix looked at her with the eyes of a beast, while Ingrid had the eyes of determination and concern.  
Blutgang’s light was bright, scraping against Ingrid’s spear. Felix, looking into Ingrid’s eyes, briefly saw that face again on an injured Ingrid in the forest just before she turned and stood down a wave of Empire soldiers.  
Felix flinched, allowing Ingrid to cut her staff in half. The light from the cut shone brightly.  
It was back at the academy, late at night. Felix and Ingrid were clashing aggressively as they were before when a pair of hands pushed their heads together.  
“Knock it off you two,” Sylvain ordered.  
“What do you think your doing Sylvain!” they both exclaimed, turning to him angrily.  
“Same as you guys, just couldn’t sleep,” Sylvain laughed, placing his hands behind his head nonchalantly.  
“This isn’t the time Sylvain,” Ingrid scolded, pointing up at his face, glaring at him.  
“You idiot! We can’t just sit around, not after-,” Felix exclaimed, glaring at him then turning his head away.  
“Not after-,” Ingrid repeated, looking down as well.  
“Not after Remire,” Sylvain finished, a concerned look on his face. “I know it was pretty horrible, it’s keeping me up too, but you’ve been training since before and after classes, practically all day,”  
“What would you have me do?!” they both asked, turning to him, their weapons pointed at him.  
“Hold on,” Sylvain exclaimed, raising both his hands defensively. “I’m not saying you should move on, but I am saying you should take a moment to calm down and enjoy what’s beautiful in the world. See, there’s beauty right there,”  
Sylvain gestured upwards, towards the sky. Ingrid and Felix followed his lead and looked up to see millions of starts in the sky, glowing brilliantly, but none were as brilliant as the light of the moon.  
Felix cut down at Ingrid wildly, his eyes even more like a beast than before. He was too late though, as Ingrid grabbed the other half of her lance and slammed it into Felix’s face.  
In a flash, despite that hit, Felix’s blade shot upwards, passed Ingrid’s defenses and towards her face. Ingrid jumped backwards, barely saving her right eye, but receiving a vertical cut on her face.  
He rushed Ingrid, his attacks having devolved into a series of wild and reckless cuts, attacking over and over, getting a few cuts in here and there. Ingrid generally kept it together, using her two halves to keep up the defensive as best as she could.   
She couldn’t hold out like this however, as Felix would likely wear her down at this rate. So she would risk getting a light scratch to get her own attack in here and there, jabbing and hitting him.  
Felix continued his assault, ignoring any damage he took, and pursuing her like a fly that just wouldn’t go away. Ingrid stopped attacking at that point, preferring to constantly dodge left and right while continuing to block each attack.   
Blutgang repeatedly flashed with each clash of their weapons. Each light reminding Felix of their fights through the years, the first time when they were children, their battle with the empire soldiers in the forest, their duals at night at the academy and on this journey, and Ingrid’s first dual after Felix got her out of her room, when both her hair and form were a mess and she fought in her nightgown of all things.  
Felix aimed straight for Ingrid, knocking both halves of her lance to the side with the flat part of Blutgang. This left her torso completely open, but Felix failed to see the opening he created.  
Ingrid dropped her halves, grabbing them by their upper ends, then pulled them in to block Felix’s attack. Ingrid struck with all her might, using both halves, she knocked Blutgang out of Felix’s hands.  
The light flashed so brightly that Felix’s vision became fuzzy at this point. Ingrid pointed one half of her lance at his throat while holding the other defensively.  
“Enough of this Felix,” Ingrid stated, giving him THAT look again.   
It was THAT look, that look of determination, the look of a concerned friend scolding another. It was always THAT look.  
She gave it to him after he beat her when they were children, when she turned to face the empire forces, when he beat her in their dual after he brought her out of her room, and when she and Sylvain were leaving the training grounds, she looked back at him, giving him THAT look again. It was always THAT look.  
“Why?!” Felix exclaimed, gritting his teeth. “Why can’t you LEAVE ME ALONE!?”  
Felix grabbed the staff and used Thunder, shocking Ingrid. He grabbed her trying to keep the onslaught of Thunder, but at that moment, she activated her crest, and kicked him across the courtyard.  
Felix vomited from the pressure of the attack, but he refused to give his ground, biting his lips, making them bleed. He charged forward, only to receive a punch to the face.  
Ingrid rushed Felix with a flurry of punches to the face, a look of desperation on her face, and tears in her eyes. Felix grabbed her by the arm, and bent it back, taking hold of her, and punched her in the face.  
At that exact moment, as Felix punched Ingrid in the face, she kicked him right in the kneecap with a crack. Felix then kneed her in the foot, trying to knock her over, but she twisted around and elbowed him in the face with a great smash, using the arm he held onto.  
Felix bit her elbow, and kneed her in the side, refusing to lose his hold on her. Ingrid kneeled down, pulling Felix down with her, and freeing up her elbow.  
She then kicked, Felix in the stomach and chest multiple times. Felix let go of her arm, and wrapped his arms around her legs, slamming her to the ground.   
Holding her that way, Felix used Thunder again, shocking her. Ingrid screamed, pushing against the ground with all her might, she practically switched their positions, with her stepping on him while he was pushed against the ground.  
She crouched down, and began repeatedly punching him in the face. Felix attempted to jab her in one leg, but she immediately noticed, dodged, and kicked that arm.  
Before she could restrain the other arm, Felix used it to twist her leg, and slammed her down to the ground. He tackled her, placing himself on top of her, grabbing her by the shoulder, and used Thunder again.  
She had struggled, kicking Felix in the back with her free leg, but he jabbed it, making it go numb. Her vision was starting to blur, consciousness fading.  
Ingrid’s eyes sharpened, she bit her lip, making it bleed, and activating her crest, she palmed Felix in the chest, sending him flying back into the fence. She struggled, standing up with one twisted foot, her body bloody and beaten, she gave Felix THAT look again.  
The light of the lamp nearby flickered brightly for a mere second. Felix was back in the forest again.  
He was laying against a tree, bloody and beaten. In front of him, Ingrid stood, roughly in the same condition.  
“Get out of here, I couldn’t bear to lose a friend like you,” Ingrid ordered, giving him THAT look, and turning to face down the Empire’s forces.  
“Ingrid!” Felix screamed, reaching for her.  
At that moment, the forest lit up. The Blue Lions, led by the Professor, charged in, each carrying a different Heroes Relic except for Dedue who held a Bolt Axe and Ashe who held a magic bow, their weapons lighting up the darkness. Awe filled Felix’s face as the light of his friends surrounded him.  
“Wake up Felix,” Ingrid called out, looking at Felix as she was before.  
Felix could only seem to stare, his eyes widened, resuming their natural appearance. He looked around, seeing the hole in the wall, the open window, the various marks on the ground from when he and Ingrid were fighting, the fragments of Ingrid’s lance, Blutgang on the ground, and the marks all across Ingrid’s body.  
The realization of his actions dawned Felix: trying to kill Lorenz. attacking Marianne and Raphael, threatening Mercedes and Ignatz, killing several guards, and trying to kill one of his closest friends. Tears streamed from his eyes.  
“I-,” Felix cried, placing his hand on his head.  
“Felix,” Ingrid called out, reaching out.  
Felix shot Thunder at the ground, and ran off, climbing up the fence, and escaping. Ingrid attempted to follow, but she collapsed onto the ground. Everything was black, the only thing left was the sound of an animal wailing in the distance.

To Be Continued………


	19. The Lamp of Derdriu part VIII: Hunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lorenz and Bernadetta attempt to survive the night, hunted by the forces of Lucious Ferran III, and another great foe.

It was right after Ingrid left Lorenz and Bernadetta. Bernadetta grabbed Lorenz by the hand.  
“Come on!” she exclaimed.  
“I am NOT leaving my fellow Deer behind!” Lorenz exclaimed, pulling back.  
“If we hurry, we can get help!” Bernadetta exclaimed, pulling harder.  
“Hurry?!” Lorenz exclaimed, eyes widened. “There’s no time!”  
“Excuse me Friends, it’s late, would you mind not shouting so loudly?”  
They turned to see Lucious Ferran III coming out of a dark alleyway, his eyes narrowed, a smile on his face. He adjusted his hat.  
“Well, well, it seems your out rather late, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester,” He remarked, a smirk on his face.  
“Lucious Ferran III,” Lorenz called out, lowering his chin, glaring at him. “Are you the mastermind behind all of this?”  
“Lucious Ferran III,” Bernadetta whispered, her eyes widening.  
“I wish I could take all the credit,” Lucious stated, placing his hand on the side of his head.  
An arrow sped passed his head, Bernadetta’s mini Bow at the ready. Despite this, Lucious remained unflinching.  
“It’d be best if a child like you not play with such dangerous toys,” he said, tipping his head to the side, and pointing his cane at her.  
“Where’s Dorothea!?” Bernadetta demanded, a fire in her eyes.  
“Dorothea?” Lorenz whispered, his eyes widening.  
“That’s a good question,” Lucious acknowledged, lowering his chin, and tipping his hat so that no one could see his eyes. “My friend, it’d be my pleasure to give her back, for the right price of course,”  
“You dastard!” Lorenz and Bernadetta called out, leaning forward, gritting their teeth.  
“Guilty as charged,” he admitted, placing his hand on his chest, then spreading his arms, and snapping his fingers. “Sadly to get a sale, you’ll need to set up a meeting through my assistants,”  
Bandits stepped out of the shadows, led by a few Derdriu guards. The guards stopped right next to Lucious.  
“Kill them both, the increased risk isn’t worth the sale,” he ordered, lowering his cane back to the ground.  
“Understood,” they responded.  
Lorenz took a step back, his back to the gate. He glanced back then towards the oncoming opponents.  
“You’re going to-!” Bernadetta demanded, the whites of her eyes ablaze.  
“Run away!” Lorenz interrupted, grabbing her hand, and running off at full speed.  
“What are you doing!?” She exclaimed, glaring at him.  
“Get a good look for yourself!” Lorenz ordered, looking back at her, his eyes widened.  
Bernadetta looked back to see the horde of bandits and guards chasing after them. Her eyes widened, and she began to run ahead of Lorenz like there was no tomorrow.  
They continued to run, trying to keep ahead, all they had to do was make it somewhere safe. Pain crashed onto Lorenz’s face as an arrow hit him in the leg.  
Time seemed to slow, as Lorenz began to fall down, the sounds of heavy boots filling the air behind him. In that moment, he thought of Marianne, Claude, and the rest of the Golden Deer.  
He closed his eyes, ready to embrace death.  
Bernadetta’s arms wrapped around Lorenz, grabbing onto him with all her might. She grit her teeth and yelled, pulling Lorenz with all of her might.  
In that instance, her crest activated, giving her more time to pull him to safety. She pulled him into a nearby alleyway, and began to walk him, stumbling as she went.  
Time resumed.  
“Don’t you dare give up now!” Bernadetta told Lorenz with her eyes, glaring at him as she stumbled along.  
“O-okay,” Lorenz’s head face responded nervously, his head giving a slight nod.  
They continued to stumble along, Lorenz helping out, and limping along. It wasn’t long before the bandits began rushing towards them from behind.  
Lorenz shot Sagittae at them, getting a clean hit and slowing them down. He kept firing, spell after spell, Nosferatu, Ragnarok, Fire, his last Agnea’s arrow, everything he had.  
“It seems like they’re retreating,” Bernadetta exclaimed, looking back to see a smaller group behind them.  
“No, they’re just going to try and attack us from both sides,” Lorenz explained, shaking his head, then pointing up ahead. “There should be a fork coming up from what I’ve read, they probably split off to get in front of us, and attack us from both sides,”  
“What do we do?” Bernadetta exclaimed, her eyes shrinking, fear on her face, elements of tears in her eyes.  
“Worry not!” Lorenz announced, sharpening his eyes and gritting his teeth.  
He used his last Ragnarok to smash a hole into a brick wall on their left, and in an instant pushed Bernadetta inside. He fell into a roll, following her inside.  
Quickly, he turned towards the hole, and reached out his hand, activating Ward. He held on with all his might as the bandits on the outside tried to penetrate the barrier.  
“Who would’ve guessed that I’d be protecting a former prisoner of war,” Lorenz exclaimed, glancing towards Bernadetta, a light smirk on his face, along with a lot of sweat.  
“Lorenz,” Bernadetta exclaimed, her eyes widened as she got up from the ground.  
Lorenz kept Ward going, but the bandits soon started breaking through the nearest door off to the front-left side of the room. Lorenz almost faltered, but Bernadetta quickly moved to his aide, her mini bow at the ready, Ingrid’s sword at her side, and both her wooden spears placed behind her back.   
The bandits broke through the door, only for an arrow to lodge itself into the head of the first to enter. The other bandits stopped, and stared in awe as their comrade fell over, dead.  
The light in Bernadetta’s eyes burned white, ready to turn them to ash.  
Arrow after arrow, she kept out any bandit that dared to enter. Bernadetta and Lorenz continued to hold strong as the bandits kept trying to attack from all sides.  
Bernadetta quickly ran out of arrows, a crack appeared in Lorenz’s barrier, and a great hammering sound came from the middle of the wall. Quickly, Bernadetta switched to a wooden spear, and took a defensive stance, making sure that Lorenz was well protected.  
The bandits seemed to be endless, but Bernadetta didn’t falter, taking each of them out with ease. More cracks appeared in Lorenz’s barrier, a small hole was made in the wall, someone pounding it with a hammer, and a guard entered through the doorway.  
Bernadetta struggled against the guard, as they wore armor and were well trained. The bandits had their opening to get inside.  
Bernadetta slammed her wooden spear down onto the guard, knocking them out while shattering the spear into pieces. She quickly pulled out her second wooden spear and charged two bandits that had already entered.  
She swung down on one bandit on the right, knocking them in the head, taking them out. The bandit to the left charged her from behind, but she leapt back, shoving the bandit into the wall.  
She quickly jumped forwards, and spun around, knocking the bandit in the head. More bandits had entered during that moment, and charged her.  
She began jabbing at them, jumping forward and back, like a mosquito avoiding it’s target. She thrust her spear deep into one of their stomachs, taking them out.  
At that moment, a bandit attacked from the right Bernadetta countered with the back end of the spear, but she couldn’t do more, as another bandit attacked from the front, pushing her back.  
Leaping back, Bernadetta pulled out the short sword, though it wasn’t very comfortable in her hands. She charged the bandits, clumsily using both her weapons to take them out, stunning them with the spear, then cutting them with the sword.  
Lorenz’s barrier shattered, letting more bandits in from the other side, led by another guard. Lorenz, blood spurting from his leg, jumped back, and pulled out the spear he had used to defend himself against Felix.  
Lorenz continuously jabbed at the bandits, wounding each of them, the only issue being that the guard was more endurant than the other. Multiple bandits swung down at him at once, forcing him to block, holding his spear horizontally. The guard was ready to attack him from the side, finishing him.  
“SWITCH!” Berndaetta roared at the top of her lungs from behind Lorenz.  
In unison, Bernadetta and Lorenz turned around, making the dust rise from the ground.   
Lorenz had pushed his lance upwards, pushing back the attacking bandits, he then engaged the bandits Bernadetta had previously been fighting. Bernadetta plunged her sword into the guard that had been prepared to give Lorenz the killing blow. She then dove down, dodging underneath the bandit’s weapons while they were stunned, and cut through their legs before kicking them into each other from the side.  
They both kept up the attack, holding back the seemingly endless waves of bandits attacking them. For a few moments, they almost thought that they had won.  
A guard wielding a hammer smashed through the wall, creating another opening to attack from. They charged, aiming straight towards Lorenz.  
He jumped back, but his movements were stunted by his leg injury. Bernadetta rushed to his aid, smashing her wooden spear against the guard. Despite her efforts, she only prevented the attack from hitting Lorenz in any fatal areas.  
Lorenz was sent sprawling back into the brick wall with a crack. He collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood, his bones having been shattered, even worse, a few of his organs had taken damage.  
Bernadetta rushed to protect guard Lorenz.  
She picked up his spear, and stood in front of Lorenz, guarding him from the horde of bandits. Sweat fell down her face, her eyes burned with determination and fear.  
Her hands and feet shook.  
“This is it!” she thought.  
“I’m going to die here!”  
“There has to be some way to escape!”  
“But then I’d have to abandon….Lorenz,”  
Bernadetta’s hands tightened on her weapons. She took a deep breath, and lit the fire in her eyes, gritting her teeth. She glanced back towards Lorenz  
His vision had become clouded, he could feel the end coming, his body had started to become cold. Before he lost consciousness, a burning light peered through the clouds.  
“Not yet!” Bernadetta’s eyes told him.  
The bandits charged her from the left, right, and front. Standing her ground, she repeatedly blocked, countered, cut and stabbed, fighting back with all her might.  
An attack went through, leaving a large cut across her side.  
Lorenz’s eyes shrunk, terror engulfing his very being. He reached out and healed Bernadetta, fixing the wound.  
Bernadetta, without noticing, kept fighting, while Lorenz continuously healed her. It didn’t matter if she received a small cut, or was impaled, Bernadetta’s defense never faltered thanks to Lorenz’s efforts.  
This couldn’t keep up however, as Lorenz could only heal so many times, and Bernadetta’s weapons could only take so much.  
The sword shattered, leaving Bernadetta with only a spear. A bandit got close, bypassing Bernadetta’s defenses, ready to finish her off.   
Lorenz, out of healing magic, had to act fast. He grabbed Bernadetta with his already outstretched hand, and pulled her back.  
He stretched out his other hand, cringing from the wound Felix left earlier, and prepared to unleash Fire, his last Fire. With luck, the crest of Gloucester activated, and a powerful explosion shot from his hand, engulfing the bandits, and decimating the entire wall they came from.  
Dust clouded the entire area. Lorenz and Bernadetta held their breath, waiting to see if more enemies came for them. They sighed in relief, as it seemed they were finally safe.  
“You’re full of surprised Bernadetta von Varley,”  
They looked up to see the dust settling, and when it was gone, Narcyz stood before them, his rapier at the ready. Bernadetta stood up, spear at the ready.  
“Narcyz,” she stated, glaring at him.  
“Who-,” Lorenz exclaimed, his eyes widened.  
“That’s none of your concern, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester,” Narcyz stated, not taking his eyes off of Bernadetta. “She and I have unfinished business,”  
“Leave us alone,” Bernadetta ordered, unflinching.  
“You and I both know I can’t do that, not this time,” Narcyz stated.  
“Be careful,” Lorenz warned, glancing towards Bernadetta. “If you’re seriously injured, I can’t heal you,”  
“Understood,” Bernadetta stated, giving a light nod.  
The two warriors stared each other down, Bernadetta very careful to look for Narcyz’s first move. A gust of wind came through the open wall, and that’s when Narcyz made his first move.  
Bernadetta rolled out of the way, receiving a minor cut on her shoulder. She spun her lance around, aiming for Narcyz’s feet.  
He jumped over the attack, leaving an opening for Bernadetta to attack upwards at him. Before she could strike him however, Narcyz pulled out his small axe, using it like a shield to block the attack. Narcyz launched a flurry of stabs from his rapier, leaving small cuts on Bernadetta.  
Anticipating this move, Bernadetta slid down, moving behind Narcyz via his axe side. She spun her spear back to jab at Narcyz just as his feet hit the ground.  
Narcyz sidesteppened, dodging Bernadetta’s attack, but she insisted, jabbing repeatedly, trying to keep him on the defensive. Narcyz kept hold of his axe, waiting for the right moment as he continued his participation in this dance.  
His eyes narrowed and he swung hard, shattering Bernadetta’s spear in a single blow.  
They both ceased movement, Bernadetta breathing heavily while Narcyz stood quietly.  
“You’re almost as fast as her,” Narcyz commented, lightly raising his chin. “Almost,”  
Narcyz tossed her his axe. She clumsily grabbed it, a confused look on her face.  
Immediately Narcyz lunged at her full force with his rapier, the air moving with him like he was an arrow. With little time to move, Bernadetta fell backwards, receiving a vertical cut on her face, just barely saving her left eye.  
Bernadetta kicked Narcyz, pushing him back just enough for her to make some distance. She held up the axe, using it like a shield to protect against the storm of attack aimed towards her.  
As Bernadetta continued to avoid his attacks, she began to feel each time his rapier pounded against the axe, the rhythm of each of his attacks. Each attack was still faster than her, but she didn’t need to keep up.  
She reached her hand out, letting the rapier stab right through it, stopping the continuous attacks. She punched up towards Narcyz with the axe, only for him to dodge backwards, letting go of the rapier.  
At that exact moment, her crest activated, and time stopped. In a single breath, she swung down, hitting Narcyz in the shoulder, and then slammed the end of the axe and the hilt of Narcyz’s rapier into his chest and stomach with all her might, throwing him back just as time resumed.  
“Gotcha,” Bernadetta stated.  
Bernadetta eyed him, barely keeping her eyes open, her breath short, her feet crooked. Narcyz stumbled to his feet, wiping the blood from his lips.  
“I see why she’s taken such a liking to you,” Narcyz commented, stumbling and placing his hand on his knee. “I’ll give you this one, but you and I both know this is far from over,”  
Narcyz ran off, heading out into the night. Bernadetta turned to Lorenz to see that he was just barely awake.  
Bernadetta stumbled over to him, and the two pulled each other along, straining to head towards the exit. They stopped at the sound of running.  
Someone was coming. The two of them froze, waiting in anticipation for what was to come. Olivia appeared at the opening.  
“By the Goddess!” She exclaimed, placing her hand on her chest, shock on her face. She then turned to her right. “Aria, Commander Bur, come quick, we need your help,”  
“What is it now?” Aria asked, walking up to her sister before stopping to stare in awe at Bernadetta and Lorenz.  
Oh my-,” Commander Bur exclaimed, following the both of them. “Olivia, help me carry them back, Aria, provide healing from behind,”  
“Yes sir,” the sisters replied, Olivia saluting, Aria merely giving a nod.  
“It’s okay,” Olivia assured, helping carry Bernadetta. “Everything’s okay now,”

To Be Continued………


	20. Lamp of Derdriu IX: A cloudy day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The characters take a moment

Ingrid and Bernadetta awoke. They both lay in the same white bed, looking in each other’s eyes. Ingrid had a small, vertical scar underneath her left eye, and Bernadetta similarly underneath her right eye.  
“Bernadetta,” Ingrid exclaimed, her eyes widened.  
“Ingrid,” Bernadetta exclaimed, doing likewise.  
“What happened to you?” they both asked, placing their hands on the other’s face, feeling the scars with their thumbs.  
“I….I….,” Ingrid attempted to answer, looking down, a sad look on her face, tears starting to well up.  
“H-hey, don’t cry,” Bernadetta urged, starting to cry herself, and placing her hands on Ingrid’s cheeks.  
“What about you?” Ingrid asked, wrapping her arms around her, the tears still flowing down her face.  
“Ingrid!” Bernadetta cried, pulling Ingrid close.  
The two held each other, crying more than they would if they were alone.

Outside the room, Mercedes stood with her back to the door, her eyes closed, her face lowered. She sighed, opening her eyes briefly, a look of relief and sadness reflecting off of them.

………

The world had turned gray, the light of the sun was unable to pierce the great clouds above. A gust of wind passed by, flowing through Lorenz’s hair as he watched the sky.  
He was standing atop the roof, overlooking the city. There was a small opening in the roof, a hidden door of sorts. The sound of footsteps came from behind Lorenz.  
“Marianne and Raphael said you’d be up here,” Ignatz stated, the wind slowing through his hair.  
“It’s good to see you Ignatz,” Lorenz greeted, glancing to his right.  
“thanks,” Ignatz responded, looking down nervously. “It’s good to see you too,”  
“I remember when Claude first made that passageway up here,” Lorenz commented, narrowing his eyes.  
“I remember that,” Ignatz added, scratching his chin nervously. “The rest of us thought that both of you were going to kill him,”  
“And we probably would’ve if Hilda hadn’t stopped us,” Lorenz admitted, looking down, and then back towards the sky. “And I’m glad she did….it’s nice to sometimes come up here on a day when no one is out and about, and enjoy some peace with family,”  
“It’s nice to know you feel that way Lorenz,” Ignatz stated, a weak smile on his face, before turning to the grey world, a sad look on his face.  
“The city looks rather sad this way doesn’t it?” Lorenz asked, taking a deep breath. “But yet it’s a sadness that I find profoundly beautiful,”  
“Um...Lorenz are you-...,” Ignatz asked nervously, awkwardly reaching out.  
Lorenz made a light smile, closing his eyes.  
“Don’t worry, I’ve certainly been through worse endeavors in my life,” Lorenz assured. “I was in the same class as Claude afterall,”  
“I know, that’s only part of it though,” Ignatz responded, looking nervously to the side.  
“Ingrid and I will discuss that issue later,” Lorenz sighed, looking down briefly before returning his gaze to the city. “You needn’t worry over such matters,”  
“Ingrid’s going to be okay, right?” Ignatz asked, taking a deep breath.  
“Naturally, if anything I should be apologizing to her,” Lorenz stated, crossing his arms and looking down. “It was a bit of an oversight for me to not warn of the dangers on the streets,”  
“Umm….,” Ignatz exclaimed, looking left and right nervously.  
“To answer your thought-,” Lorenz stated, turning to Ignatz. “I do have some questions for her regarding this ‘Narcyz’,”  
“I’m sorry!” Ignatz exclaimed, bowing urgently.  
“Please Ignatz, you need not apologize for your leader,” Lorenz assured, placing his on his shoulder before walking back towards the building. “Now, how about we fetch some tea to have with Marianne and Raphael?”  
“That sounds great,” Ignatz responded, briefly looking down, smiling, and then following along.

………

“Come on!” Raphael urged, a massive plate of food in his hands. “You’ve gotta eat more than that if you wanna heal up!”  
“Raphael, I’m fine thank you very much,” Marianne muttered, her eyes closed.  
They were sitting at a table in a large bedroom. Behind both of them was a portrait of both Marianne and Lorenz placed between two windows with white curtains. The walls were Marianne blue with Lorenz purple accents at the base.  
One the other side of the table was a king sized bed with it’s headboard against the right side of the room. The bed was made of dark wood, and had floral carvings.  
The bed had a canopy with great white curtains attached. The bed itself had a combination of white and blue colors, with a bit of purple of course. The blanket had a checkered design with flowers in each square.  
Opposed to the bed were three doors, a purple one on the left, a blue on the right, and a white in the middle. Opposite to the windows was the entrance to the bedroom, an iron door with four separate locks.  
The floor and ceiling were made up of white, wooden tiles, each tile separated by a blue stripe. One of the tiles in the ceiling, just above the canopy, was slightly out of place, as if it had been moved recently.  
“I’m just trying to make sure your okay,” Raphael stated, gesturing towards her.  
“I’m fine Raphael, honest,” Marianne urged, eating her Onion Gratin Soup, then placing her hand on her chest. “It wasn’t a very deep wound, and it healed up just right,”  
“Sorry,” Raphael apologized, brushing the back of his head. “I guess it’s just my brotherly instincts kicking in. Felix was going crazy, and you could’ve gotten hurt a lot worse than you were,”  
“I could say the same thing about you,” Lorenz criticized, climbing down the canopy, an opening having been left in the ceiling. “Taking Felix on was unbelievably reckless, you all got hurt, and it could’ve been worse,”  
“Thanks for worrying about us Lorenz,” Raphael exclaimed, giving a joyous fist.  
“Right,” Lorenz sighed, placing his hand on his head.  
“It must’ve been very hard for you, not knowing if we were going to live or not,” Marianne understood, clasping her hands together before looking up at Lorenz with a face affirmation. “But I couldn’t stand by and let you get killed,”  
“She’s right Lorenz,” Ignatz agreed, climbing down from the canopy, a defeated look on his face. “When others are getting hurt, standing by and doing nothing only leads to regret, and the question of what could’ve changed if I had taken action,”  
“Don’t sell yourself short Ignatz,” Lorenz commented, turning towards him. “You didn’t do anything wrong either,”  
“Besides, if your concerned about not being able to do anything, than just train those muscles!” Raphael exclaimed, flexing.  
“Come on,” Marianne urged, gesturing to them to come forward. “How about you two join us,”

………

Seteth stood atop a large hill overlooking Derdriu from a distance. His gaze was focused only on Derdriu, the ocean was only a blur in the corner of his vision. A great breeze blew passed him, his cloak flowing in the wind.  
“Are you concerned about their safety?” Emile asked, surprising Seteth from behind, Benny the Wyvern in tow.  
“Agreed,” Benny indicated with a screech.  
“Oh, Emile,” Seteth exclaimed, turning around, his eyes widened before sighing, looking down, and smiling. “It’s natural to be worried for my students, though my involvement in their education wasn’t as direct as some people, I’ve gotten to know many of them, and now find myself in a position where I can only hope for their safety,”  
“Is that all?” Emile asked, Benny narrowing his eyes behind him.  
“Nothing gets passed….one of you,” Seteth sighed, pausing for a moment, an eyebrow raised. He turned to Emile. “To put it simply, I have a bad feeling. It’s likely just that, but the enemy has always been one step ahead of us, I’m worried they might try something here too, but even more than that….,”  
Seteth paused, looking down briefly, closing his eyes, gritting his teeth.  
“Is Ingrid going to be okay!” Seteth exclaimed, spreading his arm out, hunching over, his eyes widened and shrunk with worry. “I didn’t fail to prepare her, did I?! I think I did everything, but I must’ve missed something! I hope she doesn’t cause trouble, I mean she probably won’t, but you never know with how Lorenz can be! Is she taking care of herself?! Does she need any help?! I know we shouldn’t go in there due to circumstances, but there could be a way around this right-…..,”  
Emile and Benny briefly looked at each, then looked back at Seteth, smiling as he kept rambling like a concerned father.

………

Felix awoke, his body laying against a brick wall like a corpse. In front of him stood a turkey vulture, watching curiously. He sighed, and glared at it, scaring it off.  
Felix forced himself up, leaning against the wall for support. He was tired, his body was pretty beaten up.  
He found a black cloth, it was in pretty bad shape, but it could work as a makeshift cloak. He stumbled along, eventually making it to the market.  
Unlike the previous day, there weren’t that many people out and about. Only a few Mothers and Fathers looking for food and supplies, a few traveling merchants looking to restock some of their supplies, and the odd case here and there.  
“I’d like some….arcane crystal if you have any?” a customer asked the Dark Merchant.  
“Naturally, I have everything you might want just back here,” the Dark Merchant answered, gesturing behind him dramatically.  
“Thank you so much, I appreciate this,” the customer praised, leaving the dark merchant.  
“Tell your friends!” the Dark Merchant called out, waving towards the customer.  
Felix stumbled up to the Dark Merchant, taking them off guard. The Dark Merchant stopped and stared at Felix, then promptly ran away, taking whatever he could with him.  
Felix sighed, his eyes narrowed. He grabbed the leftover food and some of the money the Merchant dropped, and went on his way.  
He used the money to buy a Vulnary and a sword, then sat at the pier eating the little bits of food, cooking any of the meat with magic.  
He looked down at his reflection in the water. All he could do was stare, his eyes widened.  
Droplets hit the water as a light rain started.  
Felix only sat there, looking down, his face wrinkling up.

………

Dorothea awoke in a fancy room. It was red velvet from top to bottom, and seemed built entirely for comfort, with more cushions, pillows and blankets than a hotel would need.  
The only thing that stood out was the fact that there seemingly weren’t any doors, and the most she could see for vents were small holes all across the area. She immediately tried to get up, only to trip and fall onto the pillows, her feet chained to the ground.  
She grit her teeth and shot the chains with Thoron.  
No effect.  
She continuously struck at the chains, using a variety of spells on them to no avail.  
“Hey, will you punks get me out of here!?” she ordered, yelling at the top of her lungs.  
There was only silence, so she naturally repeated, over and over until eventually, a section of the wall opened. Lucious Ferran III walked in, an annoyed look on his face.  
“My friend, would you refrain from making so much ruckus?” he asked.  
“Let me out at once,” Dorothea ordered, rage in her eyes.  
“Refrain from giving any potential clients that look as well,” he urged, raising a hand to signal for her to stop while he looked the other way.  
“And WHY would I do that?” Dorothea asked, spitting in his direction.  
“You see, it’s in both our interests that you cooperate,” He stated, stepping forward and taking off his hat. “If I remember correctly, you, lovely lady, want to live a comfortable life, and if I sell you to the right buyer, then you’ll have just that, but if you continue like this, it’ll be harder to sell you to….nicer clients. Leaving me to have to send you to more….educational clients,”  
“How do you sleep at night?” she asked, spitting at him again.  
“Like I can finally have a moment of peace,” he stated, putting his hat back on and narrowing his eyes. “It’s not my fault my Father destroyed the family name and then passed it onto me. I frankly, hate the idea of you having to suffer, so do me this favor, and behave,”  
Dorothea shot Thoron at him. He only blocked with Ward.  
“By the way, I wouldn’t bother with those chains if I were you,” he stated, heading back towards the exit. “I spent millions getting them from the layer of Those Who Slither In The Dark,”  
Dorothea screamed at him, continuing her struggle with the chains.

………

“You seem to be doing well,” Isadore remarked, his eyes hidden underneath his hood, a smirk on his face, and his hands placed together in his cloak.  
Isadore had found Narcyz resting in the underground, i.e. the sewers. He had been laying inside a hole in the wall, an empty Vulnary in his lap.  
“What do you want?” Narcyz asked, narrowing his eyes.  
“Well it seems like you’re having a bit of….trouble in this town,” Isadore answered, teetering his head back and forth, a smile on his face.  
“And you’re obviously here to provide the needed moral support I need,” Narcyz remarked, his eyes narrowed, and his arms crossed.  
“It’s your own fault for being so troublesome,” Isadore criticized, his chin raised.  
“Understand this,” Narcyz stated, standing up and glaring at Isadore. “I’ll play your games, but I’ll play them my way,”  
“And then you’ll lose to another pathetic child,” Isadore mocked, turning and walking the other way.  
“Underestimating those ‘children’ is what led to your kind to failure in the first place,” Narcyz criticized.  
Isadore stopped in his tracks.  
“I don’t remember such children commanding the forces that wiped out my brethren,” Isadore stated, gritting his teeth. “I remember the Fell Star, our weapon, and that wild animal leading the charge,”  
“I see,” Narcyz responded, crossing his arms and shaking his head.  
Isadore left, leaving Narcyz alone again. Narcyz sat down back down and leaned back.  
“I guess Father was right, history will take care of that scum itself,” he stated.

………

Ingrid tapped her foot anxiously. She and Bernadetta were standing outside a large brown door. They held hands, both despite the comfort they were seemingly competing for the most anxious.  
The hallway was rather dark, not dark enough for lamps to be lit, but it felt like they were standing in a great shadow. Ingrid and Bernadetta could hear Lorenz on the other side of the door, speaking with Commander Bur and a few others. They couldn’t make out what they were saying, but their hearts beat faster from every passing word.  
“You two seem awfully nervous,” Raphael and Mercedes stated, appearing out of nowhere, Ingrid and Bernadetta not having noticed them.  
“Ack!” Ingrid and Bernadetta both yelled, jumping up in surprise.  
“Sorry to startle you,” Ignatz apologized, walking out from behind Raphael.  
“It’s fine,” Ingrid assured, taking a deep breath, her hand on her chest. “We’re just a little nervous is all,”  
“Did Lorenz ask to see you too Bernadetta?” Mercedes asked, walking up to Bernadetta, her eyes closed.  
“No, umm….I just thought Ingrid could use my support,” Bernadetta answered, looking down and to the side, her face turning red.  
“Well, um, well, maybe-,” Mercedes said, two auras doing battle over her, a dark and a light.  
“No need to worry about that, Mercedes and Ignatz can take it from here,” Raphael announced, his hands on his hips, a bright smile on his face. “I can take you to relax for a bit,”  
“Is it really okay?” Bernadetta asked, turning to Ingrid, holding her hands.  
“Of course, I want you to be happy Bernadetta,” Ingrid stated, giving a nod.  
“Okay,” Bernadetta stated, giving a nod.  
Bernadetta pulled Ingrid close, a serious look on her face. She looked her directly in the eyes, and placed her forehead against her’s.  
“If you need me, yell as loud as you can, and I’ll be there,” Bernadetta stated.  
“R-right,” Ingrid responded, smiling, her face red.  
Bernadetta left Ingrid, following walking along with Raphael. She passed Mercedes and Ignatz as they walked towards Ingrid.  
Time seemed to slow the moment she and Mercedes passed. They both looked down, the conflict showing in their eyes. Mercedes was sad and angry, while Bernadetta was guilty and determined.  
They glanced at the other as they walked by, then continued on their way.

“You’re REALLY okay with me and Ingrid?” Bernadetta asked Raphael, turning to him as they walked.  
“Of course, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy,” Raphael answered, holding her hand, smiling at her.  
“How did I find someone as amazing as you?” she asked, smiling warmly.  
“At the Officer’s Academy,” Raphael answered, raising an eyebrow.  
Bernadetta sighed, looking down with a baffled look on her face. She laughed, jumped up, and gave Raphael a kiss on the cheek.  
“I love you,” she said.  
They continued to walk down the hall. At the same time, Mercedes and Ignatz had stood next to Ingrid, holding her hands, though Ignatz was a little nervous.  
“Don’t worry Ingrid,” Mercedes assured, a smile on her face.  
“We’re here for you,” Ignatz added, smiling likewise  
“Thanks you two,” Ingrid responded, smiling herself. “It feels like it’s been a while since the three of us have been like this,”  
“It’s only been a day Ingrid,” Mercedes laughed, leaning over.  
“I know what she means,” Ignatz stated, looking up a sad smile on his face. “I should do a painting when I have time,”  
“I can wait to see it,” Ingrid stated, giving a nod, the whites of her eyes glowing with joy.  
“I’ll guess I’ll have to wait to see what you mean,” Mercedes sighed, looking down, a smile on her face.  
They stood there, keeping Ingrid together. When Ingrid started to tap again, Mercedes and Ignatz both gave her a squeeze.  
As they stood together, the pains of the previous day, Mercedes’s dispute with Ingrid, Ignatz being unable to help Mercedes, Ingrid’s feeling of failure from her battle with Felix, Mercedes’s issues with Lorenz and Bernadetta, the fear of what was going to happen, and of losing Dorothea, all of it almost melted away. Almost.

………

Lorenz had been waiting in an empty room with his various Commanders, Commander Bur included. It appeared to be a ball room of sorts.  
It was massive, and had many windows, with pillars in between each. The room was overshadowed, the light rain outside persisting.  
Lorenz stood with his hands behind his back, looking out the window. Ingrid entered the room, stepping in front of the window next to him.  
“Please give us a moment?” Lorenz asked, turning to Marianne and Commander Bur.  
“Of course sire,” the Commanders responded, giving a bow.  
They left the two of them together. Ingrid tensed up, taking a deep breath.  
“Lorenz, I’m terribly sorry for what transpired,” Ingrid apologized, placing her hands on her chest, and closing her eyes. “I had no idea my troubles would be lying in wait here,”  
“Thank you, the apology means a lot,” Lorenz sighed, looking down before turning to her. “Though I must apologize to you for failing to warn you of Lucious Ferran III’s influence in this town,”  
Lorenz turned his back to her.  
“I appreciate your help last night, but you’ve deliberately kept critical information from me, and your friend made an attempt on my life, and attacked my guards and loved ones. It’s difficult to say I completely trust you,”  
“I understand,” Ingrid sighed, taking a breath. She looked Lorenz in the eyes, a serious look in her eyes. “What about Dorothea?”  
“I’m assuming you and your friends would like to search for her?” Lorenz asked, glancing at her, his eyes narrowed.  
“Yes, as soon as possible,” Ingrid affirmed, stepping forward, gripping her chest, a fire in her eyes.  
“I have arranged with my most trusted Commanders for your friends to go out and search in two teams of three, two of yours and one of mine,” Lorenz stated, crossing his arms. “You can pick what the team members are, choose wisely, your their leader,”  
“Am I unable to go myself?” Ingrid asked, gritting her teeth.  
“You’re the leader, you’re the person that shows up for the main event,” Lorenz stated, gesturing to her. “You also have several questions to answer, and I’d prefer to have you where I can see you for the moment. If you would prefer that Bernadetta or one of your friends stay back, I understand. I’ll change things accordingly,”  
“No, this is fine for now,” Ingrid stated, shaking her head. “But when I need to go out, I will,”  
“I understand, and I won’t stop you when the time comes,” Lorenz assured, giving a nod.

To Be Continued………

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter will be delayed to the next date, the 26th, as I have a busy time coming up, and I'm a bit behind


	21. Lamp of Derdriu X: Victor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aria, Ignatz, and Raphael go on the hunt for Lucious Ferran III

Ignatz took a deep breath. He sat in a chair in a hallway, the lights dim around him. He was looking down at his hands, his eyes shaking nervously.  
“Hey Ignatz,” Raphael greeted.  
“Ah, Raphael!” Ignatz exclaimed, looking up, surprise on his face. “I didn’t see you there,”  
“Well of course not, you’re busy looking down,” Raphael stated, gesturing towards Ignatz. “Are you still bothered by that thing we talked about before?”  
“....yeah,” Ignatz admitted, looking down again.  
“Well stop it,” Raphael urged, giving Ignatz a pat on the back. “You did your best,”  
“I know,” Ignatz responded, taking a deep breath. “Thanks Raphael,”  
The two left the room, heading towards the front gate. There Aria was waiting for them, looking over her tomb per the norm.  
“Reporting for duty ma’am,” Ignatz stated, giving her a salute.  
“You really took your time Fountain Boy,” Aria commented, turning the page.  
“I’m sorry!” Ignatz exclaimed, bowing down.  
“No need to apologize, let’s get going,” Aria replied, turning and walking away.  
“Alright! Let’s go save Dorothea!” Raphael exclaimed, raising his fist joyously.  
“W-wait, what’s the plan exactly?” Ignatz questioned, catching up.  
“We’re not going after your friend,” Aria stated, causing the other two to stop in their tracks. “....not directly at least,”  
“What are we doing then?” Ignatz and Raphael asked, Raphael tipping his head, his hands on his hips, Ignatz holding his hands against his chest.  
“The head knows where it’s feet are,” Aria stated, a smirk on her face.  
“What are we getting into?” Ignatz asked, turning to Raphael, fear in his eyes.  
Raphael looked at Ignatz and shrugged. They both followed after her, heading towards a part of the city where smoke came from the buildings.

………

The air was heavy in this part of the city.  
The streets were stained black, burnt up remains everywhere, whether they be old stains, or that the ashes were spread around by the light rain. Poor people were all around, outside and in alleys, staying warm with campfires.  
It was odd, the area around here was much colder than everywhere else in the city. Raphael rubbed his arms, trying to warm them.  
The buildings, despite the black stains, were rather rather fancy looking, architecture befitting kings even. Each building stood three, sometimes four stories tall, each protected by fences, and city guards, each stained black by the ashes.  
“Was the upper class district always like this?” Ignatz asked, a concerned look on his face.  
“I’m not old enough to know that,” Aria stated, her eyes narrowed.  
“When I was here last, it wasn’t THIS bad,” Raphael stated, scratching his head in confusion.  
“Must be ‘cause the monarch is so far away, it drives criminals furthest from the law,” Aria remarked with a shrug.  
“But Lorenz-,” Ignatz exclaimed, raising a finger anxiously.  
“An overseer isn’t a monarch. If our supposed monarch had more presence than a simple overseer, maybe Lucious and the other monsters wouldn’t have as much power as he does,”  
“You feel pretty strongly about this,” Raphael commented, his eyes widened.  
“You would too if you had to deal with it for a good year and a half,” Aria remarked, strongly turning the page. “I’d take a gatekeeper over the current monarch,”  
“Why hasn’t anything been done here?” Ignatz asked, looking around, observing a poor family around a campfire.  
“Money talks, and with how much money there is to burn here, they were even able to hire a spider to protect them,” Aria explained, slowly spinning around, gesturing around them with one hand, still looking at her tomb.  
“Spider?” Raphael and Ignatz asked, looking at each other, then back at Aria.  
“The Widow Demon, Neves Getrudes Azarola,-,” a child’s voice explained, their voice echoing through the town in an arrogant tone.  
The three widened their eyes and turned towards the nearest alley. Unlike every other alley, it was completely empty with the exception of a child.  
A young boy, roughly 12 years old, stood in the alley. He had long, messy, deep green hair, piercing yellow eyes, and he was dressed in a red shirt and pants, with white patches placed here and there. He was barefoot, though his feet looked completely untouched, as did his skin.  
“-One of the five legendary demons of the mercenary world,” the boy finished, a smile on his face, his perfect teeth showing.  
It had suddenly gotten even colder.  
“The-?” Raphael and Ignatz asked, their shoulder tense.  
“The White Demon, The Widow Demon, The Moon Demon, The Ashen Demon, and The Judgement Demon,” Aria answered, closing her book, her eyes widened.  
“Thank you young Aria,” The Boy responded, placing his hand on his chest, and raising his chin. “You need not worry about me, I’m just passing through on my way to my next job like always,”  
“That doesn’t make me any less tense Sirius,” Aria stated, her hands at the ready.  
“Wait, the-,” Ignatz realized, his eyes widened.  
“The Ashen Demon, known as the Fell Star, the Professor, and Byleth Eisner,” Sirius finished, raising a finger. “They and I have been well acquainted for some time, they were always my favorite, since unlike most of the other demons, they didn’t switch sides the moment I faced them,”  
“Of course they wouldn’t!” Raphael exclaimed with pride, crossing his arms and smiling. “The Professor is one of the strongest people I know,”  
“It was always annoying when they’d run away though,” Sirius added, a disappointed frown on their face.  
The sound of the wind was suddenly more apparent. Raphael and Ignatz stood stunned, unable to process what was just stated.  
“Either way,” Sirius added, stretching his arms. “Send Neves my greetings, I have places to be,”  
Sirius disappeared in the blink of an eye. Raphael and Ignatz turned to Aria, “who was that?” written on their faces.  
“Sirius, the Judgement Demon, the first Demon, most known in the mercenary world for being invincible. He only ever gets involved in wars, and whether his side won or lost, his enemy always took devastating losses. He passes through from time to time, but he’s never been interested in taking part in Fodlan’s wars,” Aria explained, taking a sigh of relief now that Sirius was gone. “So he shouldn’t be a problem, though it doesn’t make him any less terrifying,”  
“R-right…,” Raphael and Ignatz agreed, looking at each other nervously.  
“Let’s get going, we have work to do,” Aria ordered, returning to her tomb and walking off, the indication being that Ignatz and Raphael should follow.

………

Lucious Ferran III sat looking down, his back to the window, his hands holding his cane in front of him. His room was completely dark, only the silhouettes of a bed and bags of money sticking out of the shadows.  
A silhouette entered through the window, walking across the ceiling. They wore black, leather armor across their entire body, a dark grey cloak that hid their body underneath, and a black, metal helmet with red streaks.  
Their eyes were completely black, a bit of light reflecting off of them, and while it was difficult to see, they had dark skin comparable to that of a person of Duscur showing through slim openings in their armor. Despite their presence, they were quite small, roughly the height of Bernadetta.  
“Tell me my friend, has it started?” Lucious asked, squeezing his cane.  
“I’m no friend of the likes of you,” The Widow stated, she had a raspy voice. “There are four targets, a lone target, and a group of three. All of which are after you,”  
“I think you know what needs to be done then,” Lucious commented, closing his eyes.  
“But what would a monster like yourself want done?” The Widow asked, narrowing her eyes.  
“It doesn’t matter what I want done, does it, like the rest, you don’t care as long as you get paid,” Lucious remarked, shaking his head.  
Two thin, curved blades came down, pressing against his throat. They were black with grey edges.  
The blades had been kept within The Spiders cloak, along with other unseen weapons. She stood right above Lucious, looking down at him with hateful eyes.  
“I am protecting you and all these other wretches in their high castles, but that protection is a double edged sword,” The Spider stated. “Remember that,”  
“Your betrayal would also be a double edged sword though,” Lucious reminded, narrowing his eyes, glancing up towards The Spider. “Remember that my friend, and get on with your work,”  
“I am not, nor will I ever be...your friend,” The Spider growled, removing her blades, and heading towards the window.

“Of course not, in my business, the term ‘friend’ is nothing more than an empty habit,” Lucious stated, closing his eyes.

………

Felix sat next to the fire, hiding amongst the other people in the alleys. He leaned his head back, and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of their voices.  
“Did you hear about what’s been going on lately?”  
“No one knows what’s been going on, all I know is The Widow has been on edge, and I don’t like it, that beast from Duscur will snap anyday, let me tell you-,”  
“I heard Lucious has been working with sketchy folks as of late,”  
“When isn’t he?”  
“No, I mean, REALLY sketchy,”  
“I heard he captured an extremely high profile woman to sell,”  
“That’s nothing new for him-,”  
“Have you heard what his daughter has been up to-,”  
“Where does Lucious live around here anyway?” Felix asked, annoyance in his voice.  
The other people around the campfire turned to him, puzzled looks on their faces. There were five of them, a teenage girl with gray hair and tired eyes, an old man whose face was starting to lose it’s hair, a Man of Duscur with a scar covering his mouth, a blind woman with dark blue hair, and a soldier in rusty armor falling apart at the seams.  
“You must be new here I assume?” the old man asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“Wouldn’t that be obvious?” Felix asked, looking directly at them.  
“You’d be surprised,” the soldier stated, shaking his head.  
“As the years pass, and so many come and go, people start to blend together,” the teenage girl stated, curled up in her arms and legs.  
“Keep your head down, you don’t wanna deal with Lucious,” the Man of Duscur stated, turning the other way.  
“Listen to him, the beasts of Duscur know more than anyone else that you shouldn’t work with that man,” The blind woman stated, narrowing her eyes.  
“You look strong, you should try to find work with his daughter,” the soldier suggested, gesturing towards Felix.  
“Lucious Ferran IV, or Lucie for short, now that’s someone to follow,” the old man added, a bright smile on his face.  
“I’m here to find Lucious Ferran III, nothing will change that fact,” Felix stated, a fire in his narrowed eyes.  
“You sure are a stubborn one,” the teenage girl sighed.  
“Be careful young warrior, your eyes are pointed towards Hell,” the soldier warned, taking a drink of water out of an old cup. “It’s best that your look the other way before the fires burn you,”  
“I’m not here for philosophical nonsense, I’m here to save…,” Felix stopped, a question on his face. “....someone,”  
“An errand so noble, yet so foolish, you will find nothing and you will find Lucious, give up this waste of time,” the blind woman stated, gesturing with both hands, then placing them together.  
“You’ll find Lucious in the building with the most guards, a serpent slithers around it’s fence, and the head of a gargoyle rests in his yard below it’s corpse,” the Man of Duscur stated, his eyes closed.  
The rest of the group sat silently, their eyes filled with terror. Felix immediately felt the tension in the air, and reached underneath his cloak for his sword.  
The cold air increased, the fire disappearing into the air. The homeless stood up, and left, slowly walking away.  
The Man of Duscur was the only one to stay. He looked at Felix, narrowed his eyes, and gestured for him to leave.  
Felix slowly walked away, sword readied in his hands. The Man of Duscur turned to find The Widow standing next to him.  
“You know what you’ve done,” he said, looking at her like a lost puppy.  
“When the body is diseased, it’s necessary for it to bleed,” she stated, walking passed him. “It’s painful, but that pain will fade in time,”  
The Man of Duscur fell over, his neck having been almost completely severed except for a bit of skin at the end. A light snow fell from the sky over this far of the town, the Widow standing out among all the white.

………

Ignatz, Aria, and Raphael walked down the street, heading in the direction of a building with many guards, with a a fence that had a snake pattern flowing through it like bars to a cell, and in it’s yard, the head of a gargoyle lay, having fallen from it’s torso above the door. As the three of them walked, various guards from the rest of the streets, along with a few bandits, began following along behind them.  
“They’re-,” Ignatz stated, glancing back at them nervously.  
“Shh,” Aria responded, closing her tomb. “I’m very much aware,”  
“So…… what’s the plan?” Raphael asked, looking a little nervous himself.  
“Stealth wouldn’t have worked in this scenario, The Spider could feel whatever enters her web,” Aria explained, her eyes narrow. “Big Macho and I will hold off The Widow and any guards while Fountain Boy captures Lucious,”  
“How do we escape?” Ignatz exclaimed, a cold sweat on his face.  
“Just grab Lucious, no one here is dumb enough to risk losing someone like him,” Aria stated, placing her tomb in her clothes,”  
For a moment, time seemed to slow down. Aria glanced over to see Felix running off to the side, quickly climbing the fence.  
They made eye contact, Felix’s eyes shrinking with fear, while Aria’s eyes shrunk with anger. Ignatz noticed this, and moved to stop Aria, but it was too late.  
The guards nearby prepared themselves, rushing our heroes from all sides. Up on the roof, the Widow immediately stopped their pursuit of Felix, standing at the edge of the building, her swords at the ready.  
Raphael readied his arms and positioned himself to guard both Aria and Ignatz from the incoming guards. Felix jumped back, getting off of the fence to avoid the incoming attack. Aria created Thoron energy in her hand.  
She gave it a squeeze, crushing the energy in her hand before opening it again. Thoron energy shot out, scattered into smaller beams of Thoron spread out, shooting at Felix’s general area.  
Felix narrowly escaped the beams, only receiving damage to his cloak. The beams did, however, tear through the fence, leaving a hole one could easily enter through.  
The Widow rushed down the building, heading straight towards Felix. As soon as he hit the ground, Felix rolled, keeping his weapons at the ready.  
Ignatz’s mind raced, there was a clear opening for him, but fear filled his body. Could he make it in time?  
Raphael gave Ignatz a push, and that’s all he needed.  
Ignatz began his charge towards the hole in the fence. The Widow took notice, and leapt towards Ignatz in a flash.  
Almost instinctively, Felix got in the way, blocking the attack with his sword. The Widow expected this however, and let go of her swords, throwing three daggers in Ignatz’s direction.  
The range was too short for Felix to guard, so he took the attacks head on, guarding with his arms and legs, taking the wounds to protect Ignatz.  
Felix engaged the Widow, going on the defensive against her attacks. The Widow struck Felix’s blade with one sword than jabbed at him with her second, leaving a scratch on his cheek  
At the same time, Aria had been prepared to fire on Felix again, when Raphael grabbed her and turned her in the direction of the oncoming attackers. Her eyes widened as she took notice of the oncoming enemies.  
Aria created Fire in both hands, and attacked from either side. Raphael acted as cover for Aria, protecting her from any spears, arrows, or enemies that came too close, while Aria attacked the enemies with a variety of spells.  
Ignatz clenched his teeth, and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and ran into Lucious’s home.

………

Ignatz searched for something to create light, but he found nothing. He found the silhouette of a staircase, and began his climb.  
He ran through the building, searching endlessly for Lucious. He eventually found him on the third floor, sitting in the same chair he had been before.  
“Apologies, I don’t do business during the day,” Lucious stated, opening his narrow eyes to have a look at Ignatz. “Who might you be?”  
“Ignatz Victor,” Ignatz asked, slowly stepping forward, his hands at the ready. “Lu-...Lucious Ferran III I presume?”  
Ignatz could barely move forward. The man in the dark carried with him a great, black cloud that paralyzed Ignatz with fear.  
“You would presume correctly my friend, I am Lucious Victor Ferran III,” Lucious answered, giving a nod.  
“Victor?” Ignatz exclaimed, eyes widened.  
“Interesting, isn’t it, your last name is my middle name,” Lucious laughed to himself. “Are you here to end this life of mine?”  
“Y-you’re under arrest,” Ignatz stated, sweat on his face as he looked over Lucious.  
“How disappointing,” Lucious stated, leaning back against his chair. “Are you sure that’s the right decision here?”  
“There’s no better course of action,” Ignatz answered, taking a deep breath.  
“Except death of course,” Lucious stated, shaking his head. “I have everyone in my pocket, it’d be better just take me out than take me in,”  
“I can’t do that, we need you to get us out and find our friend,” Ignatz stated, glaring at Lucious.  
“But how do you know you’ll get anything from me in the first place?” Lucious asked, closing his eyes, lowering his chin. “Your friend could be long gone by now for all you know,”  
Ignatz stopped in his tracks, his eyes widened.  
“What would you do then, Ignatz Victor?” Lucious asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“I….-,” Ignatz responded, looking down.  
“That would make this all pointless wouldn’t it?” Lucious asked, gesturing towards Ignatz. “Don’t worry though, I haven’t sold your friend yet,”  
“What are your trying to accomplish here?” Ignatz asked, lightly gesturing towards him with both hands.  
“Hehe,” Lucious responded, looking down and shaking his head. “I forgot the answer to that question a long, LONG, time ago. How about you my friend?”  
“I’m here to take you in,” Ignatz asserted, tightening his fists nervously.  
“Not that, I can see it in your eyes my friend,” Lucious denied, shaking his head. “You’ve failed, you feel your weakness, and it’s eating at you. A part of you hopes that you could make up for your mistakes, but the truth is, you’ll never fix what’s already broken and that regret will linger with you until your end of days,”  
“How do you-?” Ignatz asked, taking a step back.  
“How do I know that? My friend, take a good look at me,” Lucious stated, spreading his arms out.  
Ignatz blinked a few times as he looked at the man before him. The intimidating cloud disappeared around Lucious, revealing him to be nothing more than a tired man bathed in his own weakness, and his own failure.  
“You’re just as weak as I am,” Ignatz stated.  
“Naturally, I have everyone in my pocket, warriors who are willing to die for my money, and I could sell the world if I wanted, yet despite all this, I am just as weak as you,”  
“It’s because of what you’ve done,” Ignatz asserted, two fists at his sides. “You’ve turned yourself into nothing more than a shell of a man,”  
“The Shell is all I need. Strength in itself is nothing more than a shell, Ignatz Victor,” Lucious stated, gesturing towards him with his cane. “Whether their strength is physical, mental, or emotional, everyone’s strengths are just a shell to protect themselves, take the shell away and their weakness is open for the world to see,”  
Ignatz thought of Raphael, Mercedes, and Marianne as they all stood against Felix. He thought of Bernadetta riding on her Wyvern, Seteth living with his missing arm, of Emile returning to camp, and Ingrid standing before the sun, a sad look in her eyes, but determination in her posture.  
“But shouldn’t we work to overcome those weaknesses and better ourselves?” Ignatz asked, taking a strong step forward.  
“But that weakness will never truly be gone, you’ll always find yourself feeling that weakness,” Lucious lamented, a sad look on his face.  
“We….,” Ignatz responded, closing his eyes. “We can’t let that stop us from striving to overcome that weakness,”  
“That’s nothing more than a fool's errand my friend. The only thing we can rely on is our shells,” Lucious preached, waving away the statement.  
“You’re wrong,” Ignatz admitted, looking down. He raised his head, and placed his hand on his chest. “If we only rely on our shells, they’ll break from the pressure,”  
“Will they?” Lucious commented, a weak smirk on his face. “Let’s prove it then,”  
Lucious shot Sagittea at Ignatz, but Ignatz rolled out of the way, and hit Lucious with Nosferatu. Ignatz walked up to him and grabbed him by the collar. Ignatz stumbled a little, as Lucious was rather heavy.  
“Your shell has been broken for some time,” Ignatz stated, his eyes narrowed.

To Be Continued……


	22. Lamp of Derdriu XI: Spider's Web

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignatz, Raphael, and Aria try to escape with Lucious while dealing with both Felix and The Widow

“You’re not planning on doing anything stupid are you?” Olivia asked, shielding Aria from the light rain with an umbrella.  
Olivia had found Aria sitting down outside on the sidewalk, reading her tomb while waiting for the mission. Aria glanced back at her sister, a smirk on her face.  
“Something like that,” Aria remarked, leaning her head back into the rain, feeling it run down her hair.  
“Aria,” Olivia scolded, annoyance in her voice, shifting the umbrella over her sister, and crouching down to more properly cover her.  
“It’s not like you’re doing anything any less dangerous,” Aria argued, blasting the umbrella into the air with a gust of wind.  
“My plan involves discretion,” Olivia explained, leaping into the air, grabbing the umbrella and landing back where she was, shielding her sister. “And my plan doesn’t involve a Demon,”  
“You know me so well,” Aria responded, laying on the ground flat, her hands as a pillow, the rain falling on her face.  
“This is serious Aria,” Olivia stated, placing her forehead against her sister’s tomb, her eyes practically burning through to make contact with Aria’s, the umbrella over them. “You can’t enter an alley, or the Widow will tear you apart, and if you could somehow be in an alley without dealing with the Widow, each alley’s walls are made of fences, so the guards will see you, and if you’re in the streets, you’ll have to deal with all of those same guards,”  
“Relax sis,” Aria urged, striking the umbrella with Air Cutter to break it, letting the rain fall on both of them. “I have a plan,”  
“And what is this plan exactly?” Olivia asked, an annoyed smile on her face as she raised both arms next to her head to act as a human umbrella.  
“Apologies, I can’t let that information get out,” Aria denied, shaking her head as best as she could.  
Olivia sighed and stood up, letting the rain fall on them both. She crouched down and promptly, flicked Aria in the forehead with enough force to create a small gust of wind.  
Aria rubbed her forehead as she got up off the ground. Olivia sat next to her, and took in the rain.  
“What is your plan?/What’s the plan!” Olivia/Raphael asked.  
Aria blinked, her vision had grown fuzzy, and she had a headache. Raphael was standing before her, arrows and a few spears sticking out of him.  
He was taking on the hordes of enemy soldiers, knocking them back with his large forearms, grabbing them to use as weapons, and kicking landslides of road at them. Off to the side, Felix was still engaged with the Widow, struggling to keep himself alive, several cuts across his body. Meanwhile, not too far away, Ignatz was exiting the mansion, carrying Lucious on his back.  
“Big Macho,” Aria whispered so that only Raphael could hear. “Get Lucious,”  
Raphael looked down at Aria with surprise, then gave a nod. Aria hastily climbed onto his back before he charged forward, breaking through the bars of the fence.  
The Widow, as expected, took notice and left Felix to charge Ignatz. Raphael would make it first thanks to the head start.  
Aria placed her hands together as if to pray or meditate, creating small spells between her hands. Raphael and Ignatz countered the Widow, Raphael scooping up bricks from the ground and Ignatz firing a Nosferatu.  
In a flash, the Widow dodged both attacks, and ran to the side, stepping onto the fence as if it were an extension of the floor. She ran along it, moving behind them before they could even react.  
“I just need to counter the Spider’s trap right?” Aria told her sister, feeling the top of her forehead.  
“You know the only warriors that ever countered that ability were the other demons, right?” Olivia asked, her arms crossed.  
“No, really?” Aria asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes a little.  
“Just get to the point,” Olivia ordered, slouching down.  
“I’ve developed a spell technique that’ll get the Spider all the way off my back, though sadly it won’t work on you or Commander Beard,” Aria explained, placing her hands together like before. “All I need to do is condense wind together between my hands, and when the moment is right-,”  
The Widow shot from the fence ready to attack the heroes, presumably killing them. At that exact moment, Aria opened her hands and a massive gust of wind engulfed the entire area.  
The Widow was sent flying off, outside of the fence and into the streets, sprawling across the ground. Raphael had been able to stay grounded thanks to his weight, while Ignatz was kept inside the fence thanks to Lucious’s added weight, even though he was forced to let go from the wind.  
The guards and bandits paused, unsure if they should proceed. Aria gave a sigh of relief that her spell was a success.  
“Stay back!” Felix ordedered.  
Everyone turned their attention to Felix. In the brief moment after Aria’s spell, Felix had rushed to Lucious and grabbed him, placing a sword against his throat.  
“All of you will let us leave, unharmed!” Felix ordered, glancing back and forth. “Understand?!”  
“Do as he says,” the Widow ordered, standing up and dusting herself off. “Return to your posts, there are more other merchants and other dead weight to protect, I’ll handle this,”  
The guards and bandits left, leaving our heroes, Felix, and the Widow in one place. Felix eyed the Widow nervously, sweat on his face, he slowly stepped back, holding his sword tightly.  
“What are you doing Boar?” Aria asked, glaring at Felix.  
“Saving your life,” Felix stated, glancing towards her.  
“More yours than ours,” Aria stated, raising her chin.  
“Aria-,” Ignatz exclaimed in surprise as he turned to her.  
“If he’s the one who has Lucious, he has insurance to protect himself from us, while if we had Lucious, he’d have to give up and escape or take him from us,” Aria exclaimed, her eyes glowing with rage. “So once we leave the Spider’s territory, he’ll take Lucious and run,”  
“I offered to help you,” Felix argued, glaring at her from the corner of his eye.  
“Don’t worry,” Raphael urged, walking towards Felix after giving Aria a pat on the back, “We can-,”  
“We can’t trust him,” Aria interrupted, making Raphael stop in his tracks. “He’s not stable, he could very well get us all killed,”  
“Would you rather deal with the Widow over here than deal with me?” Felix asked, gritting his teeth.  
“Oh get on with it,” the Widow called out, annoyance in her voice, calling the attention of the heroes and Felix. “It doesn’t matter your motives or any of that nonsense. Whether you’re together or apart. All I have to do is cut you down, and save that scum over there. Unless you hand him over first of course and walk away,”  
The Widow took a step forward.  
Fear filled Felix’s eyes as he pressed his blade against Lucious’s throat to the point of piercing his skin.  
“Boar!” Aria called out, her eyes widened. “Give us Lucious!”  
“Your a moron to think holding him would protect you,” The Widow insulted, bringing out her swords. “Anyone could tell that you need him, so if I come after you…you’ll hesitate, and I’ll cut you down,”  
In a flash, the Widow darted for Felix, her blades poised towards his throat. Like she said, Felix hesitated to kill Lucious, leaving himself open to her attack.  
Felix dodged, a cut left on the side of his head, just barely missing his ear. He leapt backwards to make some distance between him and the Widow, but she would catch up immediately.  
Felix hid behind Lucious’s body, using him as a shield to force The Widow to cease her attack. The Widow responded by darting up the fence to the right and shooting down towards Felix from the side.  
Felix tried to move out of the way, but she was too fast, and Felix was forced to let go of Lucious as The Widow’s blades came right between them. The Widow then kicked Felix away with tremendous force before reaching to grab Lucious.  
Aria countered by hitting both of them with a blast of wind, sending them up against the nearest wall. The Widow was prepared for this and landed on the wall with her feet, and dashed directly towards Lucious.  
Raphael got in her way, striking at her while she was on the wall. She jumped back, then jumped onto Raphael, prepared to cut at the nape of his neck.  
A Thoron from Felix shot at her, forcing her to cease her attack and leap off of Raphael, onto the fence on the left. At that moment, Aria attacked with another gust of wind, attempting to blow The Widow back, but almost like she expected it, the Widow attached a small hook to the fence, keeping her within the area.  
As soon as the wind stopped, The Widow pulled herself down before swinging one of her swords down towards Aria. The Widow stopped just short of the killing blow, jumping backwards to avoid a Nosferatu from Ignatz.  
Felix charged forward, attempting to keep The Widow from getting her bearings, he attacked her with a quick cut from his sword. The Widow Countered by lightly blockly the sword with one of hers.  
Felix leapt backwards, a light cut left across his torso. The Widow rushed up the wall, and shot down towards Aria yet again.  
Aria, prepared for this, cast ward to protect herself. The Widow landed on the shield and shot directly towards Felix, prepared to end him before he had time to react.  
“Stop right there!” Raphael ordered.  
The Widow’s blades stopped just short of Felix’s throat. The Widow turned to find that Raphael had placed his back against the wall, and curled up, Lucious ready to be crushed by his hands at any moment.  
“Surrender now, and let me and my friends go!” Raphael ordered, rage in his eyes.  
“There’s no need to pursue this any longer, give up!” Ignatz begged, desperation in his eyes.  
The sounds of water flowing down the streets, the light breeze pushing against her back, the gray sky, the light snow, the corpses of guards from earlier, the sounds of everyone’s heavy breathing, Raphael’s face filled with rage, Aria’s focused and narrowed eyes, Ignatz’s desperation, and Felix’s fear. The Widow took notice of all of these things and more, down to the tiniest stone on the ground.  
“Can you do it?” She asked, looking at Raphael, not with eyes of trickery or anything of the sort, but with simple inquiry.  
Raphael froze, unable to answer the question. He couldn’t say no, that would mean their deaths, yet he couldn’t say yes either. His hands shaking, the only thing Raphael could think of was to let Lucious go so that The Widow could escape with him, and leave them alone.  
“Yes….I can,” Aria answered, a fire lit in her eyes.  
Aria unleashed an inferno upon both The Widow and Felix. The Widow had been about to evade the attack, but she was stopped short as Felix grabbed her, keeping her still for just a few milliseconds.  
With only a few milliseconds, Raphael grabbed Lucious, and along with Aria and Ignatz, rushed out of the area. The flames dissipated and The Widow stood atop the fence, her cloak cloak burning to ash in the air.  
She looked on as the heroes ran away before following along, running across the fence, and leaping to the nearest wall.  
Below the widow had been Felix’s body, covered in his own cloak, laying in a puddle.

………

The black stained bars of every fence seemed like pillars of darkness looming over them as they rushed down the alley. They could see as the homeless from all around rushed to keep their distance.  
Aria, and Ignatz placed themselves on Raphael’s back, while Lucious was in his arms. Ignatz looked at Aria with only disabelief.  
“What did you do?” He asked, a bit of both shock and anger in his voice.  
“Blasted two psychoes with fire, two for the price of one,” Aria stated, raising two fingers.  
“That’s a good deal,” Lucious added, stirring from his unconsciousness  
“You!” Raphael and Ignatz both exclaimed, look towards  
“Morning Lucious,” Aria greeted, her eyes narrowed, her hands clapped together.  
“Aria, it’s a shame, but even you should know you missed one of your targets,” Lucious mocked, a smirk on his face.  
“Figures The Spider was smarter than that,” Aria sighed, crossing her arms.  
“Wait, does that mean-!” Ignatz exclaimed, looking at Aria with widened eyes.  
“Relax fountain boy,” Aria urged, glancing towards him. “That moron wouldn’t die so easily….sadly,”  
Aria unleashed a gust of wind throughout the alley. A mid the black pillars was a black streak, blending in amongst the crowd, rushing straight towards them. The streak was hit by the wind, stopping it for mere seconds, revealing The Widow.  
“Raphael!” Ignatz called out, looking over his friend’s shoulder, terror in his eyes. “Run as fast as you can!”  
“I only have one left, so it’s do or die,” Aria commented, placing her hands back together.  
“I’m on it, muscles don’t fail me now!” Raphael exclaimed, his veins stretched to their limits.  
“Apologies my friends, but there’s almost nothing you can do to escape her once you’re within her web, it’s fight, die, or try to get away while she takes another meal,” Lucious mocked, his face completely cold, his eyes narrow, a smirk on his face.  
Raphael kept charging ahead, breathing heavier and heavier, The Widow quickly catching up. A right turn was just up ahead, if Raphael slowed down, she’d immediately catch up and that would be it.  
He couldn’t ram through the fence, the bars might seriously damage Lucious, it was too risky. Raphael looked back at The Widow, his eyes filled with fear.  
“Do it,” Lucious whispered, his voice sounding tired.  
“Brace yourselves!” Raphael shouted, cradling Lucious to protect him.  
“Raphael/Big Macho!” Ignatz and Aria responded, their faces shocked.  
With tremendous force, Raphael rammed through the fence. Lucious sighed, clearly hoping that the impact would’ve been more damaging, Ignatz sighed of relief, happy Raphael was okay, Aria sighed, her heart having stopped for a second, and Raphael sighed of relief, happy that they made it through.  
A slim hook wrapped around Raphael’s leg, tripping him. Raphael flew forwards, Aria and Ignatz flew off of his back. Raphael kept his hands on Lucious, holding him tight.  
The Widow flew forward from Raphael’s force. She placed her hand on the nearest fence, and immediately shifted to a standing position, her weapons at the ready.  
“This isn’t necessary you know,” The Widow sighed. “Hand Lucious over, and I’ll leave you alone. It’s not that hard of a choice,”  
“That’s easy for you to say!” Raphael shouted, his eyes sharpened.  
“Raphael?” Ignatz exclaimed, his eyes widened as he got off the ground.  
Aria’s face was completely concentrated, tension all over her shoulder. She held her breath.  
“This guy has our friend!” Raphael stated, his fists giving Lucious a light squeeze. “He hurt our friends, tricked me, and stole our stuff! We can’t just let him go!”

“Do you People of Fodlan think that makes you special?” The Widow asked, narrowing her eyes.  
The Widow took off her helmet. She was a Person of Duscur with long, messy silver hair, black eyes, and thin lines tattooed into her face that presumably ran across her whole body, patterned similar to that of a spider’s web.  
“I’ve had friends, I’ve been tricked, and I’ve lost a great MANY things,” she stated, glaring at them, her head tipped slightly to the left. “But did the world care? Did I receive compensation, revenge, anything? No, the only left was to carry on. You could say the same for that monster in your hands, for his daughter, for the Archbishop, even for Isadore, but has the world made them exceptions because of their suffering!? No, because everyone is equal in the eyes of the world!”  
Everyone stood silent, staring in awe at The Widow’s speech. She sighed, and placed her helmet back on as it was before.  
“Neves, please-?!” Ignatz begged, placing his hands together.  
Rage filled The Widow’s eyes. She shot down towards Ignatz prepared to cut him down immediately. At the same time, Raphael had let go of Lucious and rushed to protect his friends.  
Aria smiled, and opened her hands. A blast of wind shot out, throwing Ignatz, Lucious, and The Widow into the air.  
Raphael reached up and pulled Ignatz down. A shot of Thunder came up, and struck The Widow in mid-air.  
The Widow was thrown atop the nearest building, meanwhile Lucious fell down only to be caught by Felix in a burnt cloak, with black stained armor underneath. Felix landed just on the other side of the fence between him and the others.  
Ignatz and Raphael looked at Felix with relief, while Aria just glared at him. Felix looked down at Lucious, then up at his friends, and shook his head.  
“I’m sorry,” Felix stated before running off, blending into the shadows.  
The look of relief disappeared from Ignatz, and Raphael’s faces, replaced with devastation.  
Ignatz fell to his knees, unable to stand. He looked down at his hands as they held nothing. He grit his teeth, his eyes and hands shaking, small tears beginning to fill his eyes.  
Raphael picked Ignatz up, and placed him on his back. He began walking forward, keeping himself in front so that neither Ignatz or even Aria would see the defeated look on his face.  
Aria walked along from behind. She sighed, and took out her tomb again. She bit her lip, annoyance all over her face.  
They kept walking, until it ceased to snow, and returned to a light rain. Aria felt the rain falling on her, and immediately, she smiled just a little bit.  
“Welcome home,” she stated.  
Ignatz and Raphael’s eyes widened, unsure of how to respond. They looked at each other.  
“Raphael, I didn’t know you had what happened weighing so heavily on you,” Ignatz stated, looking down, a sad look on his face.  
“Don’t let it bother you too much,” Raphael encouraged, trying to act normally, but the weight making it hard to do so. “If you need me, that’s what I’m here for. I can’t be anything but that,”  
“But Raphael-,” Ignatz exclaimed, looking up at him.  
“No buts,” Raphael interrupted, shaking his head. “Someone’s gotta be the big brother,”  
“Don’t get too tired yet boys,” Aria remarked, turning the page. “There’s still the B team, and if Olivia somehow fails….we’ll figure something out,”

………

There was a brief flash, a woman with long, brown hair and green eyes held onto him, her hands tightened on his collar. She was dressed in cheap, old clothing that had been mended who knows how many times.  
She gave him a kiss on the forehead before heading towards the door. The room was dark, with only a single lamp on the table, it’s fire slowly dying out.  
In the corner, a small child was watching from the shadows. They had red eyes and blonde hair.  
The child glared at him, her eyes burning into him until they scarred.  
The woman made it to the door, and opened it, revealing the night, a black abyss without end. She fell into it, while he followed, carrying the candle and reaching for her.  
The child followed after him, chasing after them both. He turned around, gesturing for her to cease her chase, but it was too late.  
He fell backwards, down into the dark abyss, with the child following after him. He let go of the lamp, and watched it float above him, between both him and his daughter.  
He stared at the light, but it grew tired. As the light faded away, his vision began to blur.  
Lucious’s vision cleared up. He was tied to a fence, bound by his arms and legs. His body was covered in bruises, cuts, and burns.  
Felix pointed his sword directly at his head, glaring at him.  
“Talk!?” Felix ordered.  
“What is there left to talk about my friend?” Lucious sighed, gesturing towards Felix as best as he could.  
“Enough of your games!” Felix shouted, grabbing Lucious by the throat.  
“I agree with that sentiment,” Lucious stated, lowering his eyes. “You’ll never hear what you want to know….so just end it,”  
Felix took a few steps back, rage in his eyes. Breathing heavily, gritting his teeth, he swung with all his might.  
He missed.  
“You won’t get off so easy,” Felix stated, turning his back to Lucious. “You’re going to pay for what you’ve done, I swear it,”  
Felix walked away, crossing paths with The Widow. Their eyes made contact for a brief second before they returned their focus to their objectives.  
Felix placed the black stained helmet of one of the guards on his head, creating a disguise for himself before disappearing in the shadow of a great building. The Widow walked up to Lucious, and cut him free letting his body plop to the ground.  
“You should realize that no one would kill a monster like yourself,” The Widow stated. “If you were a ferocious beast, maybe, but even those who would try end up seeing the sad beast you’ve become,”  
“I figured as much, Lady Luck’s piercing green eyes cursed me long ago,” Lucious lamented, placing his left hand over his eyes.  
“What nonsense are you babbling about not?” The Widow asked, placing a hand on her hip.  
“Apologies, I’m just thinking of the day my flame disappeared,” Lucious responded, standing to his feet. “If my predictions are correct, you’ll be taking me to Lucie, correct?”  
“I hate being on the same page with you,” The Widow stated, turning from Lucious, and walking towards the shadows.  
“I knew things would go this way eventually,” Lucious sighed, muttering to himself.

To Be Continued………


	23. Lamp of Derdriu XII: The Downtrodden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Olivia, Bernadetta, and Mercedes travel deep into the sewers, where Lucie Ferran IV, and her followers await them.

Bernadetta prepared herself. She put on her armor, grabbed a steel bow, a mini bow, a short spear, a vulnary, an accuracy ring, and a crest item.  
Mercedes didn’t have to do much to prepare, but there were still important necessities. She made sure she had the Refail Gem, three Vulnaries, one antidote, and a crest item.  
Olivia pulled out two swords, the dull piece of metal from before, and one that could cut. She closed her eyes and thought deeply to herself before putting the cutting sword away, and taking the dull blade.  
They each grabbed a cloak, prepared for what may.  
The three met outside the gate, on the left side, opposite to the other group. Mercedes and Bernadetta glanced at each other awkwardly before turning their attention to Olivia.  
“Well then, how well do either of you know this city?” Olivia asked, her hands on her hips, a confident smile on her face.  
“I…...I was held prisoner here once,” Bernadetta exclaimed, raising her hand.  
“I was here yesterday,” Mercedes stated, nodding her head, her eyes closed.  
“I….see,” Olivia responded, scratching her chin before crossing her arms, her eyes narrowed. “Then follow my lead, I know where we can search. Understood!?”  
“Understood!” Bernadetta and Mercedes responded, saluting her, a calm look on Mercedes’s face, and a nervous one on Bernadetta’s.  
“Then let’s head out,” Olivia stated, turning away from them, and headed up the street, the other two following suit.

………

The underground tunnels were dark, the only light came from the entrance behind them in the distance, and a few weak torches soaking on the side of the walls. The only sounds were the rustling of rats, the dripping of water, and the wind echoing through the tunnels.  
It smelled of rotting meat and burnt wood. Olivia lit a torch and led the way with Mercedes behind her, and Bernadetta in the back.  
Bernadetta held tightly onto her mini bow, her back to the rest of the group. Her eyes darted left and right, a bit of sweat on her face.  
“Where are we….exactly?” She asked.  
“It’s the underground,” Olivia explained, glancing Bernadetta’s way. “Criminals tend to hide here,”  
“If that’s the case, why aren’t more guards searching the premises?” Mercedes asked, gesturing towards Olivia, her head tilted.  
“That would make sense,” Olivia agreed, giving a nod. “However, Lucious’s connections have allowed the people down here to escape before getting caught. The only people we catch are the ones he wants us to, and they’re always mysteriously killed before they can be questioned,”  
“Is Lucious really THAT powerful?!” Bernadetta exclaimed, swallowing some air.  
“No idea,” Olvia stated, shrugging off the question. “Either way, we’ll get him eventually,”  
“That’s….strangely reassuring,” Bernadetta responded, calming down a bit.  
“So if we catch him, will he-?” Mercedes asked, her eyes narrowed.  
Olivia raised a hand.  
Silence.  
Footsteps echoed throughout the sewers. As they grew louder, Mercedes could see three people approaching from the distance.  
She whispered into Olivia’s ear, and she responded with a nod. The people drew closer, they wore dark grey cloaks, and gray, disheveled military uniforms.  
One of them was an old man with a beard, one hid their face, and one was a woman with a face like stone. The old man was in front, holding a lamp in his hands, while the other two stood right behind him, carrying strange weapons underneath their cloaks.  
“Hello there,” Olivia ordered, her face a little confused, her sword at the ready any time. “I take it that you’re not here for a fight,”  
“Olivia Forrester, Bernadetta von Varley, and Mercedes von Martritz,” the old man called out.  
“Our general has been expecting you,” the woman added.  
“Come this way,” the hooded one whispered, their voice indistinguishable from man or woman.  
They turned and began walking down the path they came from. Olivia, Bernadetta, and Mercedes looked at each other, unsure looks on their faces. They followed along quietly, an uncomfortable silence in the air.  
“What do we do?” Bernadetta asked, looking like she was ready to scream.  
“Guess we’ll just have to follow them,” Olivia sighed, a light smile on her face. “They haven’t tried to kill us yet, so I’d say that’s a good sign,”  
“I agree, they don’t seem hostile, but still-,” Mercedes added, placing her hands together. “There’s something unsettling about this,”  
“We’ll just have to find out when we get there,” Olivia asserted, her eyes narrowed.  
“This sounds like…,” Mercedes and Bernadetta exclaimed before freezing up.  
They briefly looked at each other, before looking the other way, a cold wall placed between them, sad looks on their faces.

………

The pathway opened up, revealing an open area where the water flowed through like a river. There were dry floors all around with people on them with shops and other things, there were small bridges, and there were even weak lights in the area.  
Groups of people similar to the ones leading our heroes were lined up, awaiting them, and in front of them stood a young woman. She had short, blonde, boyish hair, piercing red eyes, a scar across her face, pale, white skin, and she wore the same grey uniform, with gold accents and buttons, and a gold belt carrying another strange weapon.  
“Welcome visitors from above!” she announced, stepping forwards, her hands behind her back.”Soldiers!”  
“Welcome,” the soldiers greeted, placing their hands on their hearts, and bowing their heads.  
Bernadetta, nervous, almost backed away. Mercedes reached for her hand, but paused before grabbing Bernadetta’s wrist instead.  
Bernadetta jumped back in surprise, and Mercedes did likewise. Mercedes looked at Bernadetta apologetically, but before they could say anything, Olivia stepped back, next to them, a calm look on her face, her hand at the ready.  
“Who might you be?!” Olivia asked for all to hear.  
“Lucious Ferran IV,” Lucie answered, placing her hand on her heart and bowing her head. “You may refer to me as General, or General Lucie,”  
“He breeds?!” Olivia exclaimed, her eyes widened.  
“Quite surprising isn’t it,” Lucie laughed into her hand.  
“Excuse me,” Mercedes interrupted, her eyes narrowed.  
“Where is Dorothea?” Bernadetta demanded, taking a deep breath.  
Bernadetta and Mercedes posed themselves for battle. Lucie’s soldiers responded by pointing their weapons towards them.  
“That depends on you,” Lucie answered, raising her hand to signal for her soldier to hold. “I would like you and allies to join my faction,”  
“What?!” Bernadetta, Mercedes, and Olivia responded, dropping their stances, their eyes widened.  
“Allow me to explain….,” Lucie urged, looking left and right around her. “In a more comfortable environment.  
She turned and began walking away. The trio stood dumbfounded, with Lucie gaining distance by the second, they begrudgingly followed along.  
In a nearby tunnel, Isadore and Narcyz watched, keeping themselves out of sight. Isadore sat with his legs crossed, and his hands together in his sleeves, while Narcyz leaned against the wall, his arms crossed.  
“My, my, what could she be up to?” Isadore asked.  
“We played your games last night, so today, we’ll be playing mine,” Narcyz stated, glaring at Isadore.  
“This game of yours seems more akin to treason,” Isadore commented, an evil smile on his face.  
“Father’s mission is to take revenge for the victims of Fodlan, but the victims and the downtrodden exist inside Fodlan as well,” Narcyz explained, shaking his head, his eyes narrowed. “If we can seek their aide, they may be spared and Fodlan can be reborn anew,”  
“But wouldn’t they be responsible for the Archbishop’s death in your Father’s eyes? After all, they did nothing when the tide turned against her,” Isadore hypothesized, shrugging, his head tipped.  
“They were powerless, like my Father, he’ll understand,” Narcyz explained, tightening his grip on his arms.  
“You have great confidence in your Father, but a hungry beast is never satisfied,” Isadore stated, shaking his head. “Never trust them to leave anything left on the bone,”  
“You’ve been blinded by your own bias,” Narcyz accused, his eyes piercing like his rapier as he glared at Isadore. “My Father is far from beast,”  
“Whatever you say my Prince,” Isadore responded, leaving the tunnel towards the direction of the trio.  
“You better not mess this up,” Narcyz threatened, walking after him.  
“Me!?” Isadore exclaimed, placing his hand on his chest. “I simply wish to see how this game of yours plays out. Nothing more, nothing less,”  
“You think I would believe that?” Narcyz asked, placing his hand on his rapier just in case.  
“Think what you will child,” Isadore stated, raising his chin.

………

Lucie took a sip of tea from an old teacup covered in scratches. They sat at a round table in the center of a large room where Lucie’s soldiers and the rest of the poor ate together.  
The tables weren’t well put together, it smelled like rotting wood and meat, and the walls were covered in green and black stains, yet everyone sat together and ate stale bread, tough meat, and watered down soup and tea.  
“This food isn’t poisoned, is it?!” Bernadetta asked, staring down at her food nervously.  
“Of course not,” Lucie answered, reaching over and taking a small piece of Bernadetta’s bread and meat before dipping it in the soup and tea then eating it. “Completely harmless,”  
“Why are you interested in us General Luci?” Olivia asked, a smile on her face, her eyebrow raised, and a piece of bread in her hand.  
“Just as I said, I’d like you to join my faction,” Lucie stated, placing her hands together on the table.  
“What about the others?” Mercedes asked, trying to hold herself back from scowling.  
“Sorry, I already have prior commitments,” Olivia apologized, shaking her head.  
“Ladies,” Luci stated, signaling for them to be quiet with her left hand. “To answer your question, I’m willing to take in civilians and a select few merchants. There will be no nobles in my ranks. As for you Ms. Forrester-,”  
“Wait, what about?!” Mercedes exclaimed standing up.  
“Sit down,” Lucie ordered, her voice slightly raised, her face stone cold, and a fire flickering in her eyes.  
Mercedes grit her teeth and looked around the room, Bernadetta was terrified, Olivia looked at her sternly, and the many others out there looked ready for a fight. Mercedes begrudgingly sat down, Lucie smiled in response.  
“Isn’t Bernadetta a noble?” Olivia asked, a confused look on her face as she gripped her hand on her sword underneath the table.  
“An understandable concern,” Lucie acknowledged before turning towards Bernadetta. “I assume your current circumstance has yet to be made public,”  
“Um...well, I-,” Bernadetta babbled, nervously sipping her tea.  
“Through the grapevine, I’ve heard that Bernadetta Von Varley has received an ultimatum for when her noble status is nullified, and until then, she must use her resources and abilities to find a way to make funds of her own,” Lucie explained, looking around the table, taking a sip of her tea. “She must carve her own path as it may,”  
“B-Bernadetta?” Mercedes exclaimed, looking at her with surprise.  
“Well-,” Bernadetta reacted, scratching her cheeks nervously. “I-,”  
“Now as I was saying beforehand,” Lucie stated, looking towards Olivia. “I wouldn’t recommend making any hasty decisions just yet Ms. Forrester?”  
“Sorry General Lucie, but I have no interest in switching sides,” Olivia responded, shaking her head, a smile on her face.  
“It seems you’re quite the stubborn one, but I want you to hear me out,” Lucie ordered, sipping her tea with narrowed eyes. “Have you heard of the Odyssian Empire?”  
Mercedes and Bernadetta stopped and looked towards Luci with widened eyes.  
“Sorry, I missed that last part,” Olivia responded with closed eyes.  
“The Odyssian Empire,” Lucie repeated, her face stone cold, a brief light flickering in her eyes. “Have you heard of it?”  
“I don’t believe so,” Olivia answered, crossing her arms and scratching her chin.  
“Naturally, most over here haven’t heard of them,” Lucie stated, leaning forwards. “They’re a relatively large nation ruling on the other side of the world led by an immortal man named Orpheus,”  
“Really!?” Olivia exclaimed, her eyes widened.  
“I don’t know, that sounds like something you made up,” Mercedes interjected, glaring at Lucie.  
“I had a similar feeling when I first heard of this,” Lucie agreed, crossing her arms and nodding in response. “However it is the truth, whether you or I like it or not,”  
“What do we do?” Mercedes and Bernadetta tried to ask each other mentally, but they couldn’t make eye contact.  
“Ms. Varley here actually should know a thing or two about them,” Lucie commented, looking towards Bernadetta with a smile.  
“Is that true?” Olivia asked, looking towards her.  
“...Well-,” Bernadetta responded, looking down.  
Bernadetta felt a great weight looming over her. She couldn’t think of what to say or how to react.  
“Oh, the Empire has recently started working with them, so I’ve heard a bit through Edelgard and the others,” Bernadetta could say.  
“Did you know that the Odyssian Empire is planning to invade, if so, why would they be working with their enemies?” Lucie could respond.  
“They’re probably trying to gather information, it would probably be best to let Edelgard-,” Bernadetta could follow up with.  
“But isn’t that something Hubert and House Vestra would be able to find out, unless they’re working with the Odyssian Empire or you’re not telling the truth, are you Bernadetta?” Lucie could finish, trapping Bernadetta into a corner, looking at her with judgmental eyes.  
Mercedes felt the tension flowing from Bernadetta like a volcano on the brink of eruption. She reached over to try and grab Bernadetta’s hand to provide support, but she froze just short of her goal.  
It was like she was trapped in ice, unable to move.  
“Are you okay Bernadetta/Ms. Varley?” Olivia and Lucie asked, concern in one's eyes, confidence in the others.  
Bernadetta stood up, turned to Olivia, and bowed, tears in her eyes.  
“The Odyssian Empire is a nation far from here that are housing allies of the Church and Those Who Slither In The Dark! They’ve also allied themselves with the People of Duscur, Morfis, Sreng, and others! They kidnapped Flayn from Seteth to use in some sort of experiments! We wanted to tell you, but they threatened to kill Flayn if we exposed the truth! I’M SORRY!”  
The entire room went quiet.  
“umm…..I see,” Olivia responded, leaning back, shock and awkwardness all over her face.  
“Tch,” Mercedes responded, standing up, her hands on the table, rage in her eyes. “How can you treat people this way!? You’re no better than your Father!”  
The air grew heavy, everyone in the room staring at them, anger in their eyes. Lucie sighed, an empty smile on her face.  
For that brief moment, Mercedes took notice that Luci had also been missing three teeth in her mouth. Lucie tried to remain calm, but Mercedes could tell from the details in her expression that she was furious.  
Lucie stood up and snapped her fingers. Everyone in the area cleared to the sides.  
“Mercedes Von Martritz,” Lucie called out, her eyes closed. “Apologies, but what is your preferred weapon?”  
“What-?” Bernadetta attempted to ask, but like Mercedes, she froze.  
“What are you doing exactly?” Olivia asked, her eyes narrowed.  
“Relax,” Lucie urged, raising a hand. “Any injuries will be treated. It is not my aim to cause fatal injury, it is but a simple show of power, I can’t let myself be insulted in front of my own can I?”  
“Don’t act like that’s the only reason you’re doing this,” Mercedes responded, glaring at her, her eyes burning like the sun. “I choose magic,”  
“Very well,” Lucie acknowledged with a nod. “10 paces it is,”  
Lucie and Mercedes both looked at Olivia and Bernadetta, signaling them to clear out. Olivia sighed, and pulled Bernadetta along, who kept watching Mercedes, worry written all over her face.  
Lucie took her steps and pulled out that strange weapon. It was a short, wooden tube with metal attachments, and a curve to act as a handle.  
Mercedes took her steps, and prepared her hands. She kept them ready at her side, prepared to attack at any moment.  
The two of them turned their backs to each other, the crowd watching anxiously. Within the crowd, Isadore and Narcyz watched.  
“What a turn of events,” Isadore commented, a smirk on his face.  
“I figured things might turn out this way, though I would’ve preferred if things went well,” Narcyz sighed, his arms crossed.  
“Will Mercedes be okay?” Bernadetta asked, looking out from the crowd with shrunken eyes.  
“I don’t know, I’ve never seen a weapon like one of those before,” Olivia answered, holding Bernadetta’s hand tightly to give her some support. “Sorry, I couldn’t help you back there, it didn’t seem appropriate for me to do so,”  
“Would please count down from 5 with me, then draw?” Lucie asked, her voice echoing throughout the room.  
“6,” Mercedes responded, gritting her teeth.  
“How mature of you,” Lucie responded, rolling her eyes. “5,”  
“You don’t deserve my respect,” Mercedes snapped, biting her lip “4,”  
“That’s a shame, I was hoping we could get along,” Lucie lamented, shaking her head. “3,”  
“I find that hard to believe,” Mercedes sighed, closing her eyes for a brief second. “2,”  
“If I was truly your enemy, I would’ve had you all taken out as soon as you entered this place,” Lucie argued, giving her weapon a light squeeze. “I hope we can work this out later….1,”  
“Zero,” they both stated, readying themselves to turn. “Draw,”  
They both turned, attacking each other at once. A loud boom came from Lucie’s weapon, firing a small pellet directly at Mercedes.  
Mercedes reached out her hand, attacking with Nosferatu, the bright bursting right in front of Lucie. Luci was thrown backwards by the blast, and at around the same time, Lucie’s pellet shot into Mercedes’s shoulder.  
Lucie stood up, disheveled from the attack, but perfectly able to stand. Mercedes stumbled, blood coming from her shoulder.  
She felt the wound, leaving blood on her hand. She was breathing heavily, then she collapsed to the ground.  
Bernadetta rushed forward. She stumbled, breaking through the icy barrier that held her back previously.  
“Mercedes!” Bernadetta called out, getting down to her knees at Mercedes’s side.  
“Apologies, she’ll be taken to the infirmary imm-,” Lucie attempted to say, placing her hands together before widening her eyes in shock.  
Olivia gasped for air. She had just stopped an arrow mid-air just short of piercing Lucie’s forehead.  
The room had gone white, Bernadetta glaring at Luci with more rage than she did Lorenz just yesterday. Bernadetta’s mini bow was well and at the ready.  
Luci’s soldiers immediately pointed their weapons at Bernadetta, ready to fire. The weapons were like Luci’s, but longer, and larger.  
“Stand down,” Lucie ordered, raising her hand. “These are our humble guests, we should treat them well,”  
Lucie stepped away from Olivia, and towards Bernadetta, her soldiers at the ready in the background.  
“It seems things aren’t going very well,” Lucie stated, placing a hand on her forehead, signaling a headache. “Ms Varley, you and Ms. Forrester should take a look around, get a grasp of my people, then make a decision if you’d like to join,”  
“Why would you think I’d ever agree to that?” Bernadetta asked, her voice growling like a mother bear giving warning.  
“For everyone’s betterment of course,” Lucie answered, giving a nod, and a smile, her hands behind her back. “I promise that your friend Dorothea won’t be sold, as I was able to intervene early enough. It’s a shame I can’t tell you where she is, or even let her go for the moment, but your help would be very beneficial in this issue,”  
“You dastard!” Bernadetta cried out, gritting her teeth.  
“Trust me Ms. Varley, this is for everyone’s benefit!” Lucie announced, spreading her arms out. “For too long have we lived under the tyranny of nobles, dukes, and kings who fail to follow our interests! Now we have a chance! The rulers of Fodlan are about to receive what’s been coming to them for a very long time, and we will rise to the occasion! Those who join me and my followers will survive where others will be wiped out! The Downtrodden will survive this war, and will rebuild Fodlan from the ground up! We will make lives for ourselves, outside of the limitations created by the Church, Faerghus, and all of those noble dogs in their ivory towers! Let the Overseer, the King, and any other noble hang! For we are The Downtrodden, and we will rise!”  
“For we are The Downtrodden, and we will rise!” the crowd repeated, placing their hands together as if in prayer, smiles on their faces.  
“For we are The Downtrodden, and we will rise!” Lucie and the crowd repeated.  
Bernadetta and Olivia looked at each other, shock and confusion on their faces. Everyone in the crowd was like Luci, they were tired, broken people, beaten down by society.  
They were elderly, disabled, outcasts, criminals, and more. It was clear that they were this world's victims, and Luci was their champion.

To Be Continued………


	24. Lamp of Derdriu XIII: Mercie and Lucie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercedes and Lucie have discussion

The room was small and closed off from the rest of The Underground. It was like a small compartment hidden in the walls, having only room for two people.  
It had two beds of hay with a gap in between. There was a weak lamp hanging from the ceiling, and three thin, open pipes sticking out of the walls that presumably traveled outside to let in more air.  
Mercedes lay unconscious on the bed to the left, bandages covering her left shoulder. On the right, Bernadetta sat, hunched over, watching Mercedes with great concern.  
“Mercedes….I-,” Bernadetta tried to say, squeezing her hands together.

“Please be okay,” she begged, a few tears in her eyes. “I….I need to talk with your later. I don’t know what I should say, and either way I know you won’t be happy with me, but we need to talk, because I can’t go on like this!”  
“Bernadetta,” Olivia called out from the other side of the wall, her eyes closed, her hand placed on the hilt of her sword. “She’ll be fine,”  
“Can we really trust them on their word!?” Bernadetta exclaimed, turning towards the wall.  
“They seem like a shady group of people, but I believe we can trust them,” Olivia explained, giving a nod. “If we couldn’t trust them, we’d be in much worse shape than we are now,”  
“That doesn’t make them trustworthy!” Bernadetta argued, gritting her teeth.  
“You’re right, but I can’t be picky about who I trust, even if he seems rather suspicious, if I close myself off from trusting people, it’ll be hard to put my trust in others,” Olivia lamented, giving her sword a squeeze.  
“He?” Bernadetta exclaimed, a confused look on her face.  
“I know I sound like a moron,” Olivia lamented, looking down, shaking her head. “Aria has told me that enough times already,”  
“No, I think I know what you mean,” Bernadetta acknowledged, leaning against the wall, her eyes narrowed and looking down. “I had….troubling experiences when I was young, and afterwards I found it hard to trust anyone…, even the kindest of people seemed like they were out to get me in my mind. It was horrible,”  
“I see,” Olivia responded, laughing a little to herself, the back of her head leaned against the wall.  
“Hey!” Bernadetta exclaimed, looking at the wall with annoyance, and throwing her fists down. “What’s so funny!?”  
“Nothing,” Olivia answered, shaking her head. “I just feel good being a moron,”  
“I see,” Bernadetta acknowledged, a look of surprise on her face before she smiled and leaned against the wall. “I guess there are worse things,”  
“Anyway, I’ll give you a moment,” Olivia added before taking a few steps away. “But we need to get back to our investigation soon,”  
“Thank you,” Bernadetta thanked, giving a nod. “But you should really go on without me,”  
“I see,” Olivia sighed, closing her eyes with a smile. “Nothing wrong with keeping watch, just in case,”  
“Thank you, again,” Bernadetta thanked, a warm smile on her face.  
“I hope that when I see you again, I’ll have information on Dorothea Arnault, and more,” Olivia stated before walking off into the darkness.

………

The city of Derdriu was engrossed in fog, it’s streets completely empty with one exception. In the fog, Mercedes walked along, a concerned look on her face, her hands placed together nervously.  
“Hello,” she called out, looking around. “Is anyone there?”  
The sound of giggling resounded in the distance. Mercedes turned to see Ingrid and Bernadetta walking together, holding hands.  
“Ingrid! Bernadetta! Wait for me!” Mercedes called out, running after them.  
“I’m sorry,” Bernadetta stated, a smile on her face.  
Ingrid and Bernadetta disappeared into the fog. she chased after them, but found no trace.  
A sword reached out from the fog, pointed directly at her neck. It shined like white fire, illuminating the mist around it.  
“Stay out of my way,” Felix ordered, glaring at her with the eyes of a beast.  
“Felix wait-!” she begged, reaching for them.  
“Goodbye dear sister,” The Death Knight said, standing at Felix’s left.  
“Your not even worth killing,” Dimitri mocked, standing at Felix's right.  
They walked away, disappearing into the darkest parts of the fog, their footsteps slowly fading into nothing. Mercedes stood stunned, disbelief in her eyes before she crouched down, tears beginning to appear on her face.  
“Are you troubled, m’lady?” Sylvain asked, kneeling down, reaching out for her, and giving a wink, a warm smile on his face.  
“We thought you may be in need of assistance,” Dedue added, standing at the ready with his axe.  
Mercedes wiped her eyes, and looked up at them, a smile starting to form on her face.  
A gunshot. Sylvain and Dedue disappeared, turning to fog. From that fog, Lucie Ferran stepped out, her pistol at the ready, pointed towards Mercedes’s head.  
“All who refuse to join must be eliminated, this is what you wished for, is it not?” Luci asked, her eyes focused like that of a hunter, ready to fire.  
Mercedes lashed out, attacking Lucie, but she only passed through her. Lucie gestured off towards the other end of the street.  
“Behold the fruits of your labor,” she announced.  
The fog briefly disappeared, revealing Flayn and Dorothea in chains. The chains came from Isadore, an evil smile on his face.  
Mercedes rushed towards them, but the fog closed, leaving her to crash into a board. It wasn’t a mere board though, when she gave it a good look, she saw a demonic portrait of herself.  
“You truly are a disappointment!” her Step-Father mocked, his voice coming from the sky above.  
“Why didn’t you just do what you were told?!” her Adoptive Father exclaimed, his voice coming from a similar location.  
She placed her hands on her ears, looking around for the origin of her past Fathers’ voices. She saw the tallest building in Derdriu, where Lorenz stood, looking down on her, though she couldn’t make out his face.  
Rage filled her eyes, and the tower shattered, falling apart. Despite this, Lorenz still stood, whether he had footing or not.  
“Mercie!” Annette called out, running towards her, the city falling apart around her.  
“Annie!” Mercedes called out, her eyes widened before she rushed towards her.  
She was too late. Annette became engulfed in the city’s rubble.  
The ground fell apart, and Mercedes fell into the waters below. Beneath the waves she could see all of her friends floating in the water, their corpses slowly rising up towards the top while she continued to sink.  
She looked up, and saw Lucie Ferran staring down at her, her feet planted on top of the water. Mercedes’s vision became fuzzy, and then….darkness.  
Mercedes woke up, gasping for air, her heart beating at a mile a minute, her hand gripping her chest, sweat on her face. She looked over and saw Bernadetta sitting across from her, terror on her face.  
Mercedes almost spoke, heated words clogging up her throat, but she bit her lip. Her eyes started to shrink, turning into a glare, but she closed them and turned away.  
“I’ll….I’ll give you a moment,” Bernadetta stated, looking down, a sad look on her face before opening the wall and ducking out.  
Mercedes sat in silence, her hands on her head, a sick look on her face.

The door opened again, the splash of footsteps followed by the tapping as they hit the floor. Mercedes removed her hands from her head, a guilty look on her face.  
“Bernadetta, I’m-....,” she tried to say as she turned towards her, her eyes widened, her mouth hanging open.  
“Apologies, I’m not Ms. Varley,” Lucie stated, sitting down across from Mercedes, a smile on her face, her back straight, her legs together with her hands rested on them.  
“What are you doing here?” Mercedes asked, placing her hands at the ready.  
“I’m here to apologize for earlier,” Lucie answered, bowing to her. “You’re my guest, I treated you and friend disrespectfully,”  
“Where is Bernadetta?” Mercedes asked, narrowing her eyes, the light of the weak lamp reflecting off of her face.  
“Don’t worry, she should be waiting outside,” Lucie answered before knocking on the wall.  
“Yes!” Bernadetta’s voice responded.  
“Can you show Mercedes that you’re in perfect condition?!” Lucie asked, crossing her arms.  
Bernadetta opened up the wall to show that she was in the hallway with someone else. Someone with long, red hair in a braid, wearing a dark grey parca, black pants, and sandals.  
They were also carrying a rapier and a silver axe. They looked somewhat familiar, but their back was turned to Mercedes, so she couldn’t get a proper look at them.  
“You friend is safe,” they said in a husky voice, their arms crossed. “I assure you I couldn’t hope to defeat her, plus the General would have me shot,”  
“I can handle him,” Bernadetta assured, a confident look seeping into her face.  
“O-....okay,” Mercedes responded, avoiding eye contact and giving a nod.  
Bernadetta closed the wall, leaving Mercedes and Lucie to themselves. Mercedes turned to Lucie, annoyance and rage in her eyes.  
“I assume you have more to say?” Mercedes asked, sitting in posture akin to Lucie’s and placing her hands on her lap.  
“You can read minds?” Lucie asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“I’ve been known to be able to read people,” Mercedes stated, her eyes narrowed. “I’d assume you have a similar skill?”  
“What makes you say that?” Lucie asked, tipping her head.  
“At the table you specifically picked out Bernadetta,” Mercedes stated, gritting her teeth.  
“An easy target,” Lucie waved away.  
“But you rarely spoke to me, and when you didn’t need to get information out of Bernadetta, you were trying to convince Olivia to join you. You recognized her trusting nature, and tried to use that, your information, and our presence to get her on your side,” Mercedes explained, pursing her lips.  
“Apologies, but-,” Lucie denied, shaking her head.  
“Or at least that was the surface level,” Mercedes interrupted, leaning forward, glaring at her. “You didn’t try to appease Olivia, you showed off your faction, and revealed to Bernadetta and I what you know. Olivia was just a wall, you knew she was a lost cause from the moment she stepped into your presence. You’re real targets were Bernadetta and I,”  
“And how would you explain that?” Lucie asked, laughing into her hand.  
“If you were able to read Bernadetta, you could certainly read me, yet you ignored my growing anger at the table. In fact, when I compared you to your Father, you were angry, but you did rather well at hiding it, almost as if you expected it,” Mercedes deduced, gesturing towards Lucie.  
“Are you saying that I planned for this situation?” Lucie asked, raising a hand to her chin, a smirk on her face.  
“Why have our meeting around other people?” Mercedes asked, her finger pointed towards Lucie as an accusation. “The easy assumption would be to eat among your people as a show of how personable you are, but for the discussion you wanted, you needed to be somewhere more formal, more private,”  
“Then why didn’t I just have us meet privately?” Lucie asked, resting her cheek on the back of the same hand.  
“Because that’s what we’re doing right now?” Mercedes answered, closing her fist. “You wanted to give me a first impression, before separating me from the others, something that would be very difficult, so we could talk personally, and so someone less intimidating could try to convince Bernadetta,”  
“And Olivia?” Lucie asked, lowering her hand to her side.  
“Is fine,” Mercedes stated, her eyes closed. “You’d rather not do anything rash because it would be dangerous in terms of our conversation,”  
“Amazing,” Lucie responded, a smile on her face. “You really do get stuck in your own head,”  
Mercedes’s eyes widened. Lucie’s other hand had her pistol pointed directly at her the whole time.  
Mercedes held her breath, sweat falling down her face as she awaited the shot. Lucie pulled the trigger, followed by a simple click.  
The gun was empty.  
“Apologies,” Lucie said, flipping the gun and putting it away. “I couldn’t resist, but test you this way,”  
“Even if it further hurt your chances of convincing me to join your side?” Mercedes asked, scowling.  
“You wouldn’t be convinced by hospitality,” Lucie stated, shaking her head. “With what you know, it would be pointless. You served the Boar Prince for a good portion of the war, so maybe intimidation, no, if that were the case you would’ve joined the Empire long ago. Loyalty, maybe, but you’re loyalty is flexible considering you abandoned the Church of Seiros, and made friends with the Empire,”  
“So that’s why you think you can convince me to change sides,” Mercedes questioned, squeezing her fists together in her lap.  
“Friendship, family, are all a source of loyalty, I can’t become your friend, but I can certainly try to convince you Mercedes von Martritz,” Lucie affirmed with a nod.  
“What makes you so confident?” Mercedes asked, closing her eyes, and smiling.  
“Putting the wall up already,” Lucie acknowledged, closing her eyes, and smiling. “I’d like to guess that you believe you can do likewise,”  
“Perish the thought,” Mercedes denied, placing her hand on her cheek.  
“If you don’t yet, you will,” Lucie insisted, resting her cheek on the back of her hand.  
“Let’s begin then,” they both stated, giving each other a nod.

………

The sounds of tapping, splashing, and dripping danced together in a beautiful rhythm. Outside in the tunnels, Bernadetta stood, tapping her foot against the wall before kicking the water.  
Her arms were crossed, her face was coarse as she glared at Narcyz. Narcyz repeated her posture, but his face was nothing more than annoyed.  
“What are you trying to do here?” Bernadetta accused.  
“Nothing as vulgar or dishonorable as Isadore,” Narcyz assured.  
“That doesn’t answer my question,” Bernadetta stated, a white aura emanating from her.  
“I’m trying to give the people of Fodlan an opportunity to survive,” Narcyz explained, his voice clear and concise.  
“How noble of you,” Bernadetta remarked, a bit of sarcasm in her voice  
“You’re rather confident compared to earlier,” Narcyz commented, eyeing her with a raised eyebrow.  
“Sorry if you’re not as intimidating after last night,” Bernadetta remarked, a confident smile forming on her face.  
“I guess that makes sense,” Narcyz agreed, turning his head back, a defeated smile on his face. “I know your group and I have had our bouts, but I’d like to give them a chance to survive this war,”  
“I have a better idea,” Bernadetta suggested, her finger raised. “How about we don’t have a war in the first place,”  
“Bernadetta, it’s not that simple-,” Narcyz urged, leaning towards her, his eyes widened.  
“Don’t tell me what’s simple,” Bernadetta ordered, her finger pointed directly at him.  
“It’s too late at this point, save what you can, and move on,” Narcyz insisted, gesturing towards her.  
“I’m not running away from you, that would be a betrayal to my friends,” Bernadetta denied, slapping her palm against the wall, ceasing the sounds echoing in the background.

“But what if your friends are willing to join?” Narcyz sighed, leaning his head back.  
“Then I don’t know them very well,” Bernadetta stated, giving a nod of confidence.  
“This bear is quite stubborn,” Narcyz remarked, placing his hand on his face. “We’ll just have to wait and see then,”  
They resumed their rhythm, standing in wait for the negotiations to end.

………

Lucie took out a small canister of water, and drank from it. She then handed it to Mercedes who did likewise before handing it back.  
“Tell me Mercedes, do you think it’s fair for us at the bottom?” Lucie asked, placing her hands together.  
“Of course not,” Mercedes answered, shaking her head. “The nobility and the rich have a lot more power than the average person, and many of them abuse their power for even more gain,”  
“You’re Adoptive Father and your Step-Father for example,” Lucie added, gesturing towards Mercedes. “They were a great burden for you for much of your life, using you and your Mother for nothing more than personal gain,”  
“I see you’ve done your research,” Mercedes exclaimed, placing her hand over her mouth. “And you believe that your group would be able to prevent such things from happening in the future?”  
“Of course,” Lucie answered, leaning forward. “We wish to abolish the current system so that the people in power will be those that have the interests of those below them in mind,”  
“And how do you plan to do that?” Mercedes asked, her eyebrow raised, her arms crossed. “Will you try to replicate Emperor Edelgard’s plans?”  
“I do not,” Lucie answered, one of her fingers raised. “Edelgard’s system of merit equaling power sounds great on paper, but I feel it lacks something. In future years, I believe it’ll lead to just another system of nobility, it would just have the image of freedom for the people. Corrupt people will gain too much power, and have too much influence. With this they’ll keep the people at the bottom, on the bottom as they do now,”  
“And you believe you have a solution?” Mercedes asked, leaning forward.  
“Of course, under our Government, people will support each other. No one will be truly above or below, we will share what we have equally, and decide our leaders equally,” Lucie explained, with raised fist and a bright smile.  
“In essence, you want a government where people help each other,” Mercedes summarized, gesturing towards Lucie, a small smile on her face.  
“Precisely,” Lucie stated, giving a nod with crossed arms.  
“And I expect that the daughter of a rich merchant is supposed to lead this new government,” Mercedes accused, her eyes narrowed.  
“I see you haven’t done your research,” Lucie denied, turning her head. “My Father only gained his wealth within the last decade, before then, he couldn’t give money away for free if he wanted,”  
“I understand where you’re coming from,” Mercedes agreed with a sigh, her head tipped, and her eyes lowered. “But while helping others is an ideal goal, you can’t force everyone to help each other,”  
“Why not?” Lucie asked, shrugging off the question. “With the right rules, people can be motivated to help others. If I were to not distribute completely equal amounts among the people, say as a rough example one keeps 55 percent of their earnings while the rest is distributed elsewhere, those slight numbers will help them feel a sense of accomplishment that will push them to keep working hard,”  
“But do you know if that’ll work?” Mercedes asked, placing her hand on her chest and raising her eyebrow  
“I think it’ll work out, you never know until you try,” Lucie asserted, shrugging with her hands raised and a smile on her face. “Besides….it’s better than the alternative,”  
Mercedes looked down and sighed.  
“Even if it works, I can’t approve of your methods,” Mercedes stated, shaking her head.  
“The war I’m assuming,” Lucie added, brushing her hand through her hair as if she once had more. “A necessary sacrifice,”  
“How can you say that?!” Mercedes exclaimed, scowling, her hands squeezed together on her lap. “You can’t create a world where people are equal and then choose who lives and who dies!”  
“I have no choice in the matter,” Lucie stated, crossing her legs, and narrowing her eyes. “The war is coming whether we want it too or not,”  
“But you could help us instead of fighting for the Odyssian Empire!” Mercedes argued, standing as best she could, her fists at her sides. “You and your people would even be rewarded for your help,”  
“I will not take rewards from my enemies,” Lucie stated, looking up at Mercedes. “If Lorenz Hellman Gloucester offered you his help, would you gladly take it?”  
“That-....,” Mercedes responded, her eyes widened, her hands open before she sat back down. “That’s different,”  
“This is personal for me too,” Lucie stated, narrowing her eyes, her smile showing her missing teeth again. “I’m actually surprised your so forgiving to the other arrogant nobles out there, and that includes your king, the self-righteous murderer,”  
“Don’t blame him for killing in the name of justice when your doing the same,” Mercedes threatened, gritting her teeth.  
“I know what I’m doing, I’m not going to sugar coat my actions with justice,” Lucie stated, her eyes like daggers.  
“But do you even think the Odyssian Empire and everyone else will let your people exist when all is said and done?” Mercedes asked, leaning forwards.  
“We have technology they don’t, they’ll be more than interested in working with us in the future than anything else,” Lucie explained, a look of confidence on her face.  
“I understand what you’re saying,” Mercedes sighed.  
“But you can’t look passed the dead can you?” Lucie sighed.  
“It’s more than that,” Mercedes added, gesturing towards her. “My goal in life is to help people. I can’t help people by slaughtering the innocent, nobles included. I was once a noble, Ingrid’s a noble, and even if I hate him, Lorenz….isn’t deserving of death. I didn’t join the War of Unification out of some ambition for a greater future. I did it because people needed help,”  
“There are several flaws in your thinking,” Lucie responded, her hand on her chin. “The most important part here is perspective. Everyone prepared to invade Fodlan has good reason to. A great many of them are the victims. The Defender isn’t always the hero. That’s a grand oversimplification of things. Do you know how I survived my childhood?”  
“How?” Mercedes asked, looking at her skeptically, and a little annoyed.  
“My Mother sold herself,” Lucie answered, looking down, a sad look in her eyes. “She had at one point been well known in the opera some time ago. She met my Father, and found him rather charming, so they eloped. However, my Father as mentioned previously, was a terrible merchant, eventually we were on the brink of being thrown into the streets. My Mother was still worth a penny, so she gave up her life, and Father’s pride so that the two of us would survive. I understand the need to stick by your ideals and try to make a scenario where everyone is happy, but we have to be pragmatic. Sacrifices must be made for the sake of the future,”  
“You and your Father don’t seem like you’re having a better future,” Mercedes stated, a sympathetic look on her face.  
“Your almost right,” Lucie responded, shaking her head, her hand grasping towards the lamp. “My Father lost his sight of the sun, but I can still see it, it’s just far away…., and it won’t be long until it’s up close,”  
“You want to wipe the slate clean,” Mercedes exclaimed, the light reflecting off her widened eyes.  
“Don’t we all deserve that,” Lucie added, reaching her hand out for Mercedes. “We’ve all been abused by the system of nobility, the church, Fodlan, all of it. If you can get your friends to renounce their nobility, and join us, then they’ll be safe. Save what you can, so that we can all see the sun, so that we no longer need to light lamps to hide from the dark,”  
Mercedes looked at the hand before her. For a moment, she thought about a life she never had.  
She, Ingrid, Ignatz, Emile, and the others were together in an open plain far outside of Derdriu. They built a small town with a house for her, Ignatz, Ingrid, and Emile, for Bernadetta and Raphael, for Felix and Dorothea, for Seteth and Flayn, for Sylvain and his 12 wives, and a house for the rest of the Blue Lions excluding Ashe, who would be with Petra in Brigid.  
They’d have a building in the center where they would spend their time together when they weren’t farming, hunting, or anything else. At night, Felix, Dedue, Dimitri, and Emile would guard the town from any bandits or beasts.  
Sylvain would have too many children, so she, Ingrid and Ignatz would take care of a few. She would watch Bernadetta and Raphael’s kids at times as well, when all of the kids weren’t at Annette’s school anyways.  
Under the warm, bright sun, Ignatz would make a painting of all of them in the town together. It felt perfect, warm, and beautiful, but it was missing something.  
Mercedes looked to the sun in the distance, only to realize it was merely a fake sun, a giant lamp over Derdriu. The light went out, leaving the entire world engulfed in darkness.

Mercedes slapped Lucie’s hand away.  
“That sounds lovely,” Mercedes stated, showing the fire in her eyes. “But that sun would only be an imitation if you look for it your way,”  
“....I see, it seems as though you’re a lost cause,” Lucie lamented, glaring at Mercedes with a similar fire. “If you won’t follow me, then the only thing left is to prove I’m right….on the battlefield,”  
“I won’t look forward to it,” Mercedes stated, standing up, the light reflecting off of her whole torso.  
“Neither will I,” Lucie added, doing likewise. “But it’s what must be done,”  
“I disagree,” Mercedes denied, a sad, but tough look on her face. “But I guess that’s how you want it,”  
“It is,” Lucie stated, a cold look on her face. “I’ll show you, your friend, and Olivia the way out,”  
“And Dorothea?” Mercedes asked, her eyes narrowed.  
“You’ll have to find her yourself,” Lucie threatened, turning off the lamp.

To Be Continued………

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for a great first year, I won’t be uploading any more chapters for the rest of the month, as Christmas is quite the busy season. The next chapter will be released on the 16th of January 2021. I hope next year can be just as great, if not better than the next.


	25. Lamp of Derdriu XIV: Sparks in the Rain part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We follow Olivia, Felix, The Widow, and Dorothea as they experience the world of The Downtrodden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's good to be back, thank you for your continued support, and I hope you like the chapter

Ingrid looked out the window overlooking the city. The light rain continued, painting over the streets until they were a much darker color.  
“You’re worried about them?” Marianne asked, stepping next to Ingrid with two glasses of tea.  
“Lorenz said that as the leader I should only make my move for the ‘main event’,” Ingrid commented, taking her glass.  
“But you can’t help but worry,” Marianne added, a sympathetic look on her face.  
“Indeed,” Ingrid admitted, looking down.  
“You never know if the worst is going to happen or if everything is going to be fine, especially since tasks such as these, no matter how small, are still important,” Marianne lamented, looking down herself.  
“You seem well versed on the subject?” Ingrid asked, turning towards her with widened eyes.  
“We’ve all been to war Ingrid,” Marianne replied, taking a sip of her tea. “Of course our positions in the war weren’t as high as today. We had others above us to worry for us back then,”  
“Forgive me, I’m not….the best at reading the room,” Ingrid admitted, a concerned look on her face. “What worries you today?”  
“This air reminds me of when I left home, the last time I saw my parents,” Marianne lamented, giving her cup a squeeze. “The calm before a fire. I worry for Lorenz and everyone’s lives. I’ve only felt like we’ve been walking a thin line ever since the war ended,”  
They stood in silence. Ingrid looked down at her tea, and gave the cup a squeeze.  
“Why didn’t Dimitri pick a safer choice to oversee former Alliance Territory?” Ingrid asked.  
“Lorenz insisted,” Marianne answered, taking another sip, a smile on her face. “Ruling the Alliance, even if it’s only as an overseer, has always been his dream. The danger wasn’t going to stop him,”  
“Even so, something should’ve been done,” Ingrid insisted, placing a hand on Marianne’s shoulder, a serious look in her eyes. “We can’t just expect everything to be fine just because the war ended. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done-....,”  
Ingrid stopped herself, her eyes widened. She removed her hand and took a few steps back.  
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be-,” Ingrid apologized, her eyes looking off to the side.  
“You’re not wrong,” Marianne commented, a smile on her face, surprise written in her eyes.  
Marianne looked towards the city.  
“I think you’ll do well at ruling your own territory with a mindset like that,” Marianne complimented.  
“Th-thank you,” Ingrid responded, a look of confusion on her face.  
“You should probably drink your tea before it gets cold,” Marianne insisted.  
“R-right,” Ingrid responded, turning towards the window and taking a drink. “Mmmm, Mint?”  
“I heard it was your favorite,” Marianne responded, a warm smile on her face.  
“Yes, I quite enjoy this tea,” Ingrid responded, happily taking another drink.

………

The rain fell from the sky burned on her skin. A young Olivia lay on the ground covered in cuts, bruises, and dirt.  
She wore a torn, pink dress similar to her modern attire, but without the armor. In her arms, she cradled a sword in its sheath.  
She was in a small town in the middle of nowhere, placed in front of an alleyway. Aria was curled up in that alleyway, cradling her tomb, a terrified look on her face and tears in her eyes.  
The sound of Olivia and Aria’s breathing, the splashes of footsteps as people walked by, and the rain falling from the sky echoed in Olivia’s mind. Amongst all those noises, someone was running.  
“Olivia! Aria!” their Father called out.  
Upon hearing his voice, Aria ran out and into his arms, bawling her eyes out. Olivia could only look away, a guilty look on her face.  
“It’s okay Aria,” their Father assured, holding his youngest daughter. “I’m here now,”  
Holding Aria with one arm, he walked over to Olivia. He pulled out a concoction and knelt down.  
“Take this Olivia, it’ll make you feel better,” he urged.  
She kept her head turned, not looking at him.  
He sighed, and placed Aria on his back, freeing up his other hand. He placed that hand underneath Olivia’s head, and turned it towards him.  
She closed her eyes, holding back her tears as he gave her the Concoction. After she had healed enough, he picked her up, cradling her in his arms.  
His arms were warm, but they didn’t burn like the rain. His grip was firm, but soft.  
Olivia began bawling her eyes out.

The next morning, Olivia awoke in her bed. In the corner, through the crack in the door, she could see Aria and Mother preparing breakfast.  
She lay there for what felt like hours, nothing pushing her to get up, whether it be hunger or simple energy. After some time, Father entered in his work suit, carrying a sword in its sheath.  
“Olivia,” he exclaimed, his eyes widened. “I didn’t know you were awake,”  
Olivia rolled over, turning away from him.  
“This again?” he sighed, before walking towards her. “You can’t avoid me forever young lady.  
He crouched down next to her bed. Olivia could feel the worried look on his face.  
“Please, tell me what happened?” he begged, a calm look on his face.  
“Aria hasn’t told you?” Olivia whispered, squeezing her sheets.  
“You should know by now that I can’t get her to talk to me on a sunny day, let alone a rainy one,” he lamented, laughing a little to himself. “Your the oldest remember, tell me what happened?”  
“That’s the problem!” Olivia wailed, squeezing her bedding. “I’m the oldest….and….and-!”  
“Sh-sh….,” he hushed, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, I’m here, calm down, and tell me what happened?”  
“.....We got lost on our way back home….so I asked some men for directions,” Olivia explained, tears welling in her eyes. “They led us towards an alleyway….then….then,”  
“They attacked you right?” he asked, a solemn look on his face. “And it was because you were Women of Duscur,”  
Olivia gave a nod as she bit her own blanket. Father put the sword down, and placed his hands together while looking down.  
“You had your sword right?” he asked.  
“It….it was too late….they got us before,” Olivia struggled to say, the tears running down her face.  
“Aria didn’t have scratch on her when I found you,” he stated, giving a nod. “You did well,”  
“But it was my fault, I trusted them!” Olivia lamented, wrinkling up her sheets.  
“It wasn’t your fault, you couldn’t have predicted this, but now you know better for next time,” he assured, giving her a pat on the head.  
“No I don’t!” Olivia exclaimed, turning to him. “I don’t know what to do! How am I supposed to just not trust people! What if they need my help and I refuse to trust them, or what if they’re actually trying to help me-?!”  
“I see,” he sighed, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, you should never lose trust in other people, even if I or someone else recommends you should, but you still need to protect yourself, so how about this-?”  
He picked up the sword in its sheath, and gently lay it next to her.  
“You don’t need to mistrust people, all you need to do is keep your sword at the ready whenever there’s the possibility you might be in danger. Doesn’t matter if it’s a dangerous thug or an old lady, just keep your hand at the ready,” He advised, placing her hands around the handle. “Understood?”  
Current Olivia found herself at an intersection in the tunnels. She looked left and right, then gripped her sword, a sentimental look on her face.  
“Understood,” the child Olivia agreed.  
She stepped into the tunnel on the left, moving slowly so that she could listen for any sounds in the walls. She likewise, had a hand pressed against one of the walls.  
“Where do ya think yer going?” a voice asked.  
Behind her stood a tall, skinny woman with pale white skin, long, red hair, and dark, green eyes. Despite how thin she was, she had a fairly chiseled physique, and wore brown, leather armor that left enough gaps for easy movement.  
On her back she had a thin, long sword, likely taking advantage of the reach her height would give her. Along with the sword, she had a long spear.  
“Looking for Dorothea Arnault,” Olivia stated, turning to her with a calm smile. “Everyone I asked turned me away, so I figured it would be faster this way,”  
“Are ya stupid?” the woman asked, a dumbfounded look on her face.  
“I personally prefer moron,” Olivia replied, tipping her head.  
“Well, quit yer snooping,” she threatened, raising a fist towards Olivia. “I don’t want some arrogant noble’s dog sniffin’ around here,”  
“....I’m sorry,” Olivia apologized, shaking her head, her eyes closed, her smile persisting. “I missed that last part,”  
With great force, the woman pointed her sword at Olivia, the blade mere millimeters from her forehead.  
“Remember this, next time you go snooping,” she threatened, glaring at Olivia. “Watch your back, cause Vicenza Agnelli’s watching you,”  
“Very well,” Olivia responded, reaching out her hand. “We’ve got work to do then,”  
“The heck are you saying?” Vicenza growled, her eyes narrowed, her mouth gaping open.  
“I have no intention of ceasing any of my ‘snooping’, so you may as well come along,” Olivia suggested, a confident smile on her face.  
“...whatever,” Vicenza responded, slapping Olivia’s hand away. “I’m not your friend though, and if you see too much, I’ll gut ya like a fish,”  
“Thank you for your help,” Olivia responded, bowing, and taking a few steps towards her path, looking back at Vicenza to make sure she followed along.  
“I’m not yer assistant!” Vicenza exclaimed, following along.  
They walked down the tunnel, Olivia walking quietly while Vicenza stomped along, her footsteps echoing through the tunnels. In the distance, a knight in black stained armor slowly moved through the tunnels.  
Felix stopped, hearing the loud stomping sound, and after a moment, took a different direction. He eventually found a hidden entrance in one of the walls, leading him to a large open area.  
Inside the room, people were lined up in rows, making the parts for pistols, muskets, and the like, then passing them to others to assemble them, then to another rows to test them, then have them placed in crates where they’re moved out of the room, and repeat. Felix eyed the weapons curiously, wandering alongside the room to get a good look at the firing range.  
“What are you doing here!?” a loud voice asked.  
Felix stood and saluted in surprise. Before him was a short person dressed in thick, tan slacks covered in patches, brown shoes, black armor around their torso, a tan hood that covered most of their head and their upper shoulders, black goggles with gold lenses, black rubber gloves, and white elbow pads. They were covered from head to toe, even their skin was unseen. They stared at Felix with widened eyes, their hands on their hips.  
“I’m-,” Felix responded nervously.  
“Here to help,” they responded turning from Felix and walking towards one of the tables. “Great! We could always use someone else to help out,”  
“A-actually, I’m here to-,” Felix stated, raising a hand.  
“This is the assembly table, you’ll be putting muskets together, got it?!” they interrupted, slamming their hand on one of the tables, glancing back at Felix, but not really “looking at him,” as it may.  
Felix sighed and awkwardly sat down at his post. He looked around to see that men, women, and others, some wearing uniforms of The Downtrodden, others in armor, and some looking like completely normal people, were working on these muskets.  
“Ya wandered into the bear trap my friend,” a woman in a cloak next to him stated.  
“This happens to everyone who wanders in here?” Felix asked, hunching over in annoyance.  
“Commander Volta only acknowledges General Lucie, Vice Commander Segreti, and sometimes Lieutenant Vicenza, otherwise, we’re all tools to her,” the woman explained, leaning back, her hands behind her head.  
“Tell me-?” Felix asked, his eyes narrowed, a serious look on his face,  
“It helps you I guess, since you’re not from around here,” she stated, glancing at Felix with a narrow, green eye.  
“Who are you?” Felix asked in a threatening voice, shock on his face.  
“Vice Commander Cosima Segreti, serving under Alessi Volta from birth to death,” she stated, lowering her hood to reveal deep, green eyes, pale white skin, and silver hair.  
It was hard to tell if she was old, or if this was just her natural appearance. Felix swallowed some air, sweat on his forehead.  
“Either way,” Cosima handwaved, putting her hood back on. “As long as you sit there quietly and work, we shouldn’t have any problems,”  
“Don’t challenge me-!” Felix threatened, preparing to stand up.  
A shot came from the musket Cosima was working on, it just barely avoided Felix’s head. Cosima winked at Felix, her hand subtly placed on the musket in front of her. Felix just responded by glaring at her with his eyes of a beast, while she simply looked at him with eyes as sharp as needles.  
“What the heck is going on over there!” Alessi exclaimed, getting up from her work desk in the back.  
“Sorry Commander,” Cosima responded, raising one hand to wave, and another to awkwardly brush the back of her head. “Just a bit of discharge, nothing to worry about,”  
“Cosimaaaa!” Alessi sighed, hunching down dramatically, her arms lowered. “These are my Family’s precious secrets, please treat them with more respect!?”  
“I’ll be more careful in the future, I’m just glad no one got hurt this time!” Cosima answered, bowing down, her hands together, almost in prayer.  
Cosima sat down, a calm, collected look on her face. Felix did likewise, gritting his teeth.  
“Is something wrong here?” a familiar, raspy voice asked.  
Felix’s tensed up.  
Behind him, at the entrance, The Widow Demon had appeared, Lucious Ferran III in tow. Alessi approached her, skipping with every step.  
“Just having a little fun as usual,” Alessi responded, a bright smile on their face. “Are you here to-?”  
“No,” The Widow interrupted.  
“Sorry about Ms. Kill-joy over here, Dr. Volta?” Lucious asked, an excited smile on his face, a curious look in his eyes.  
“Sorry buckeroo, not for sale,” Alessi responded, shaking their head, making an X with their arms, while trying to hide the flattered look on their face.  
“That’s a shame, with Rhea gone, your tech should be easier to sell on the market,” Lucious lamented, tipping his head to the side, his eyes closed, a charismatic smile on his face.  
“Quiet you,” the Widow threatened, showing Lucious one of her blades before turning to Alessi. “If there’s no problem, I’ll be off then, Dr. Volta,”  
“Come by anytime you want,” Alessi responded, waving at The Widow as she walked away. “I’d LOVE to study how you walk on walls!”  
“You’ll only be disappointed,” The Widow muttered to herself.

………

Deep below the tunnels, The Widow led Lucious along a spiral staircase designed around a large, stone pillar. Lucious looked around with an ironic smirk on his face, and a tired look in his eyes.  
“Never thought I’d get put away down here,” He commented.  
The pillar had strange markings like something from a bygone age. Water flowed through spiral carvings in the pillar, just on the edge of escaping and flooding the area. The sound of water echoed through, yet it was never so loud that it would be unbearable.  
The walls around the staircase were completely black, like a dark abyss, giving them the impression that there were walls at all. Even the small green lights that appeared in and out gave the impression that there was motion around them, like they were descending into another world.  
“I thought I told you to be quiet,” The Widow threatened, glaring at him.  
“You know this place was found by accident,” Lucious stated, raising a finger, his voice echoing through the darkness.  
“Shut up,” The Widow threatened to no avail.  
“The founders of The Underground sought to hide even deeper, only to find a spiral staircase leading deep, below the water, so whenever the authorities were onto them, they would escape down here to hide, and no one was the wiser,” Lucious continued, placing a hand on the great pillar.  
“I don’t care,” The Widow stated, scraping her sword against the pillar, though she couldn’t even leave a scratch.  
As they approached the bottom of the staircase, the greater area came into view. There was a black, oval shaped room, with doors all along the sides. Each door had monster shaped carvings on them, though they had worn with age, and each carving revolved around small holes, one on each door. Said holes appeared as though something should’ve been placed there at one point.  
In the center of the room, there was a flat circle, and around the circle, there were a great many ovals that acted as slight steps in the ground. Based on the slight inclinations and that the circle had a metal plate covering it, it seemed as though the circle was a whole that went even deeper, but was closed off for some reason.  
Between each door, there were statues, knights larger than the average man, and covered head-to-toe in metal. They weren’t too dissimilar to the guards from Lákkos, though they clearly had their own flair to them. Each statue was placed like they were guards, though what they were guarding was yet unknown, whether it be the doors, the circle, or both.  
There were no lights in the room, yet it remained lit deep in the darkness.  
There was no life in the room, yet it smelled of like the forest was right next to them.  
There could be no breeze in the room, yet there was wind so far below the surface.  
“What is this place?” The Widow asked, staring with terror in her eyes.  
“They call this place the Shadow Core my friend,” Lucious stated, a smug look on his face. “Darkness and Light will must always mingle to an extent, as designed by nature, so this is the light in our darkness….a prison,”  
She led him down, steadily walking through the chamber, tension on her shoulders of the place they stood. On the upper, right-hand side of the chamber, there was a door with the image of a three-eyed serpent carved into it, the third eye being one of the empty holes.  
The door opened to a luxurious, green room, not too dissimilar to Dorothea’s cell. The Widow looked at the room with confusion, while Lucious simply stepped inside.  
“Love what I’ve done with the place. It’s not only a great place to hide the People of The Underground, but I thought I’d spruce it up for any of my more important sales,” Lucious explained, gesturing around the room.  
“You truly are awful, not only selling people, but disgracing a piece of great importance like this, are there any lows you won’t go to?” The Widow asked, looking at him with disgust.  
“I ask myself that question everyday,” Lucious lamented, switching back to his more depressed, tired composure. “And the answer is often...no,”  
“Goodbye….Lucious Ferran III,” she said, closing the door on him.  
In the nearest cell, Dorothea sat quietly, carefully listening with her eyes closed, and her hands together, almost in prayer. She thought back a few hours, when the door had last opened.  
“Pardon the intrusion,” Lucie urged, bowing towards her.  
“Are you here to let me go?” Dorothea asked, glancing towards her.  
“No, I’m afraid not,” Lucie sighed, her hand placed on her chest.  
“Then we’re done talking,” Dorothea stated, turning her back to her.  
“If it helps, we won’t be selling you anymore?” Lucie added, her eyes closed, an awkward look on her face.  
“How gracious of you,” Dorothea remarked, glaring at her.  
“It’s truly horrible what’s happened to you, but for various reasons, you must stay here for the time being,” Lucie explained, scratching her chin. “So if there’s anyway we can make you comfortable, please let us know,”  
“No thank you, I wouldn’t want to beat that scumbag's skin if you offered,” Dorothea stated, her voice continuing to get even more irritated. “I’d being washing my hands for weeks,”  
“If it helps, that scumbag will be thrown in one of these cells soon,” Lucie commented, giving Dorothea a light bow.  
“Really,” Dorothea exclaimed, her eyes widened. “....That might actually help,”  
“That’s good,” Lucie sighed, rubbing the back of her head. “I want you to be as comfortable, as possible,”  
Lucie left the room, closing the door behind her, and leaving Dorothea alone. In the present, Dorothea opened her eyes, as well as her hands, and unleashed a great blaze onto the room.

To Be Continued………


	26. Lamp of Derdriu XV: Sparks in the rain part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaos erupts within the Underground.

Ignatz, Aria, and Raphael eventually made it back to Castle Derdriu. Ignatz looked up towards one of the windows.  
At that moment, he and Ingrid made eye contact.  
Ingrid turned to her right, speaking to someone else. She then opened the window, and jumped out into the rain at full speed.  
Ignatz watched with widened eyes before running forwards, his feet creating a splash as they hit the ground. He rushed through the gates just as they opened, slipping through the small gap before they were fully opened.  
Ingrid rolled just as she hit the ground, and dashed forwards at full speed before giving Ignatz a great big hug.

“There is something wrong with both of you(!/,)” Lorenz and Aria called out from the window and behind Ignatz, bafflement on their faces.  
“Let them have their moment,” Marianne and Raphael stated, placing a hand on Lorenz’s shoulder and patting Aria on the back.  
“How about we convene inside, where it’s warm!” Lorenz called out, shielding his makeup from the rain.  
Ignatz and Ingrid separated, smiled, and gave each other a nod before looking up at Lorenz, and giving him a thumbs up. With a nod from Lorenz, the group began to head inside.  
“You really are crazy, you know that,” Ignatz commented, looking at Ingrid with a bit of sweat and a smile on his face.  
“I….was really worried about you guys,” Ingrid stated, scratching her cheek, her face bright red.  
“Keep it short Harem King,” Aria called out, a grossed out look on her face. “Anymore of this sap is going to make me sick,”  
“Huh?” Ignatz questioned, turning towards Aria, a puzzled look on his face.  
“Not you Fountain Boy, her,” Aria responded, pointing at Ingrid.  
“Me!?” Ingrid exclaimed, shock written on her face. “I….don’t know what you’re talking about,”  
“Don’t worry Ingrid!” Raphael called out, waving excitedly. “It’s legal now!”  
“I wanna die,” Ingrid stated, slouching down, a tired look on her face.  
“Hehe,” Ignatz laughed into his fist.  
“Not you too,” Ingrid groaned, looking towards Ignatz.  
They stepped through the main entrance, out of the rain, though Raphael and Aria were a bit behind them. Ignatz shook his head.  
“I’m sorry, it’s just that it feels like a while since we’ve had this sense of….fun,” Ignatz lamented, a warm smile on his face.  
“Yeah, it does feel like it’s been three months, almost four,” Ingrid agreed, looking down, a warm smile on her face.  
“Are the others back yet?” Ignatz asked, a concerned look on his face.  
“No, they’ve been gone for a while,” Ingrid lamented, a worried look on her face.  
“I hope they’re not getting into trouble,” Ignatz stated, a serious look on his face.  
“They’re with my sister on an investigation mission that requires an extreme amount of carefulness,” Aria stated, entering the building. “They’ll get into trouble….but they’ll be fine,”

………

The Widow walked over to the stairs, preparing to leave the chamber. Her footsteps wouldn’t make a sound, not even a light tapping when they hit the floor. She stopped just short of the stairs, a scent touching her nose.  
Fire.  
She turned to see smoke coming out of the door at the other end of the chamber. In a flash, she rushed to open it.  
The entire cell had been lit ablaze with Dorothea in the middle, blocking the flames with Ward, though it’s protection was very limited. The Widow came to her aide, grabbing her to try and pick her up, but alas, Dorothea was still chained to the floor.  
“Tch,” she responded, gritting her teeth. “Bite down really hard, and squeeze your fists, this is going to hurt a lot,”  
Dorothea did as she said, and a few seconds later, a sharp pain cut deep into her leg. She felt faint, like she was about to pass out, a cold sweat on her face, her skin pale.  
She gasped for air, laying outside the room, at some point, The Widow had taken her out of the room. She had removed a small portion of Dorothea’s leg to get her out of the chain, and carried her out.  
“Hold still!” The Widow ordered.  
“Huh,” Dorothea exclaimed, her eyes widened, her face practically burning up with heat.  
The Widow dashed past Dorothea, and cut off a large portion of her hair, before tossing it to the side, letting it burn to nothing. Dorothea had been so disheveled by losing her foot that she hadn’t taken notice her hair was on fire..  
“What were you thinking?!” The Widow exclaimed, turning towards Dorothea, and grabbing her by the collar.  
“I got out didn’t I?” She remarked, a weak smirk on her face..  
“There are other places here for you, if you think this little stunt could help you escape, then you’re a fool,” The Widow stated, looking Dorothea in the eyes.  
Dorothea glanced over at the plate in the room, then back at her. She closed her eyes, and shrugged, a smirk on her face.  
The Widow’s eyes widened, a horrible feeling in her stomach, and she slammed her to the floor, attempting to restrain her, but it was too late. Dorothea had reached her hand out and just barely, cast Agnea’s Arrow.  
The attack appeared just over the plate, before crashing down onto it with a great boom. When the light cleared, the plate was mostly untouched, except for a single crack.  
“What was I even worried about?” The Widow muttered, sighing of relief.

“Where’s the wind coming from?” Dorothea asked, a solemn look on her face.  
The crack grew, a dark substance leaking through it. The substance turned towards them like a snake staring down its prey before striking.  
The Widow, her eyes widened, grabbed Dorothea and jumped onto the wall, up onto the ceiling, and back and forth, avoiding the substance as it constantly shot towards them.  
As that was happening, the cracks grew, and more of the substance leaked out, filling the room. The statues of knights took in the substance as it filled the entire room, seemingly bringing them to life.  
The Widow made it to the stairs, and rushed upwards faster than anyone had ever seen her move, the black substance pursuing from below. Back down in the chamber, Lucious sat silently in his cell, when the substance began to enter.  
“Are you here to kill me?” Lucious asked, his eyes narrowed.  
The substance rushed in, engulfing Lucious as he gladly took it.

On their way up, Dorothea began to black out at several points, but she fought to stay awake. When she fully regained consciousness, both she and The Widow were sprawled in the tunnels underneath the city.  
Dorothea looked back, and saw a black gate in the wall, formed from the substance. It was at that moment, Dorothea finally lost consciousness completely.

………

Olivia continued as she was, Vicenza following behind her. There was a sense of tension reverberating throughout the tunnels, though they never reached Olvia.  
“Why’re ya so dedicated to this mission anyways?” Vicenza asked, looking the other way, one of her eyes hyper focused on Olivia.  
“Because,” Olivia responded without a second thought.  
“That doesn’t work,” Vicenza stated, slouching down, an annoyed look on her face.  
“Why not?” Olivia asked, looking up curiously.  
“Because the only rhyme or reason behind yer actions is that ya do what ever yer told if ya don’t have a clear motive for followin’ along with the wretched nobility,” Vicenza argued, gesturing towards Olivia.  
“I don’t have time to think about why, I only have time to get by,” Olivia stated in a rhythmic tone.  
“If ya try to sing again, I’m gonna impale ya,” Vicenza threatened, glaring comedically at Olivia.  
“Why are you following General Lucie?” Olivia asked, a smile on her face.  
“To build a better life,” Vicenza stated, a serious smile on her face.  
“You need to start a revolution to do that?” Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow.  
“Not just for me, ya stupid,” Vicenza responded, raising a fist, angry eyes on her face. “For everyone,”  
“And that requires a revolution,” Olivia responded, raising a finger.  
“As far as I can tell, mercenary work doesn’t pay enough to feed an entire city’s population, let alone a country,” Vicenza lamented, looking down, her arms crossed.  
“I guess that makes sense,” Olivia responded with a nod.  
“Then you should join us, for a better life for yer family, for yerself,” Vicenza urged, a solemn look on her face.  
“....sorry,” Olivia responded, brushing the back of her head, her eyes closed. “I missed that last part,”  
“How can ya keep goin’ like this?!” Vicenza exclaimed, stabbing the wall with her sword. “Followin’ this system like a mindless drone for no purpose other then ‘because’. Don’t ya have any ideals or goals in life!?”  
“You revolutionaries really do fixate on the why,” Olivia responded, turning to Vicenza, a joking smile on her face. “I prefer to focus on the Z,”  
“I prefer to focus on removin’ yer head,” Vicenza threatened, her sword at the ready. “Tell me this, Olivia Forrester, if yer lord told ya to slaughter children, would ya?”  
“No,” Olivia stated, a calm look on her face.  
“That’s….not what I was expectin’ ya to say?” Vicenza questioned, losing her combat stance.  
“How about you?” Olivia asked, a confident smile on her face.  
“Hmm…stop that!” Vicenza stated, interrupting her own thought before pointing at Olivia. “We’re talkin’ about yer motivations!”  
“Because,” Olivia stated, raising a hand before Vicenza responded. “The path of life is very long, I honestly can’t think that far ahead, and why would I want to? I just wanna keep walking that path with my sister,”  
“Ugh, yer a real fool ya know,” Vicenza stated, placing her hand on her head.  
At that moment, The Widow dashed down the nearest hallway, Dorothea on her back, the water in the tunnel practically coming all the way off the ground. Olivia turned her back to Vicenza as she prepared to attack.  
“I am a fool,” Olivia stated, placing her hand on her sword, ducking underneath Vicenza’s sword, and elbowing her in the gut with her hilt. “But I don’t need to be anything else,”  
Olivia made a small jump into the air, and used Vicenza as a jumping off point. In an explosion of water and dirt, Vicenza was sent flying back while Olivia shot forward, chasing after The Widow.

………

Felix sat quietly at his workplace, peering everywhere around him. Three tables into the front row, he was pretty much surrounded, and if he were to be discovered, it wouldn’t be long before everyone in the room dogpiled him. It was especially annoying with how there were no doors to his front.  
“Be careful when putting the weapons together,” Cosima commented, a lax tone in her voice, her head rested on her cheek as she kept her eyes on Felix while working on her guns with her other hand like it was nothing.  
Ever since Felix entered this place, Dr. Volta’s assistant, Cosima, had been keeping an eye on him. If she wasn’t there, Felix could easily escape, but sadly, she’s able to see right through him.  
“How about you follow your own advice?” Felix remarked, glaring at her through his helmet.  
“I’m not a newby,” She commented, a relaxed smirk on her face. “I’ve been putting these guns together for Volta for years,”  
“You’re pretty committed to Dr. Volta, aren’t you?” Felix asked, moving his hand close to one of his swords.  
“You can’t distract me Felix Frauldarious,” Cosima commented, narrowing her eyes at him, her head tilted back, her smile as calm as ever.  
“You?!” Felix exclaimed, jumping out of his chair.  
“Hey!” Volta called out, waving towards them. “What are you doing?!”  
“Don’t worry!” Cosima waved back. “He was just so excited about your work he had to jump out of his chair,”  
“REALLY!?” Dr. Volta exclaimed, a bright smile on their face. “Thank you so much! But please get back to work!”  
“R-right,” Felix reacted, sitting back down awkwardly, before glaring at Cosima. “Let me guess, you have eyes and ears everywhere?”  
“Yup,” Cosima replied with a nod, her eyes closed, her smile persisting. “Also it’s pretty easy that the only person dumb enough to come down here alone, is someone desparate who lacks any allies, i.e. Felix Frauldarious,”  
“Tch,” Felix responded, looking down, an angry, yet sad look on his face.  
“Hey! Did anyone hear!?” Someone called out, rushing into the room.  
“More help!” Dr. Volta responded, clasping her hands together. “Great!”  
“That’s not-,” the person responded, stepping back.  
“Welcome aboard!” Dr. Volta interrupted, grabbing them by the hand, and dragging them in. “I’ll put you right here,”  
“Crap,” they sighed.  
It wasn’t long before talk spread through the room, everyone in every row, discussing the news brought it. Both Felix and Cosima listened closely, completely focused, even if Cosima came off as if she didn’t notice.  
“So what happened?”  
“No one’s sure,”  
“All they know is that ‘the prisoner’ has to change cells,”  
“Lucious Ferran III?”  
“Nah, I bet it was Dorothea Arnault,”  
“That girl is quite the fighter,”  
“But why are they taking her out of the chamber?”  
“The Widow has apparently been having trouble explaining that part,”  
“What’s crazier, is from what I’ve heard, Dorothea lost a foot, AND most of her hair,”  
“Seriously?”  
Immediately, Felix dodged underneath his table, just barely avoiding a shot from Cosima. The entire room fell silent, watching the both of them.  
“WELL!” Cosima suggested towards the rest of the room, shouting with a shrug.  
Felix didn’t bother countering, he dashed straight towards the exit. Members of the crowd immediately grabbed their rifles while others ducked down.  
Felix rolled, avoiding a wave of gunfire. He was almost towards the exit, all of the muskets in the room pointed towards him.  
Gun fire.

………

Mercedes and Lucie stepped outside, into the tunnels where Bernadetta and Narcyz awaited them. The water rippled as their feet broke the surface.  
“Mercedes!” Bernadetta exclaimed, rushing up to her and grabbing both her hands, a worried look on her face. “Are you okay!?”  
“Oh, yeah….I’m fine,” Mercedes responded, gently lowering Bernadetta’s hands, and nervously looking the other way. “Thank you for worrying about me,”  
“Are they in?” Narcyz asked, turning to Lucie, his eye narrowed, and arms crossed.  
“Afraid not,” Lucie answered, shaking her head. “Sorry, Narcyz,”  
“Tch,” Narcyz responded, looking down.  
“Narcyz!” Mercedes exclaimed, pulling Bernadetta closer for protection.  
“Relax,” Narcyz urged, raising a hand to calm them. “I won’t bring you harm unless you try anything,”  
The sounds of heavy footsteps came rushing through the tunnels. A group of Lucie’s soldiers appeared, coming straight towards them, shock showing all over them.  
“General Lucie!” one of them called out. “Something….happened!”  
“The prisoner was moved out of The Chamber!” Another called out.  
“Dorothea,” Bernadetta muttered, wrapping an arm around Mercedes and pulling her close.  
“Bernadetta?” Mercedes stated, looking down at her with surprise.  
“Speak of the devil,” Narcyz commented, his hands reaching for his weapons.  
“Mercedes von Martritz, Berndadetta Varley,” Lucie stated, placing one hand on her hip, and the other behind her back. “I request that you don’t do anything you’ll soon regret. Understand?”  
They stood in silence, the soldiers from afar looking at each other as if they did something wrong. Mercedes, Lucie, Bernadetta, and Narcyz glancing between each other, their weapons at the ready, Lucie loading her gun behind her back.  
Mercedes and Bernadetta looked at each other, Mercedes a little unsure at first, but she sighed, and went along with it. They both gave each other a nod, and looked towards their opponents.  
“Request denied,” they stated.  
Bernadetta, Mercedes in arm, dove out of the way, and spun her short spear, blocking an attack from Narcyz’s rapier. They rushed down the nearest tunnel, drops of water filling the air with each movement.  
Lucie appeared from where they came and pointed her pistol at them. Bernadetta immediately turned around, and countered with her mini bow.  
Bernadetta took a shot to the shoulder, while Lucie’s pistol was taken out by the arrow. The two backed away behind cover once they reached the end of the tunnel.  
“Strategy dual!” Lucie ordered her soldiers, pulling out and beginning the process of loading her second pistol.  
“I should be able to catch them,” Narcyz stated, turning to her, a calm look on his face.  
“Be careful,” Lucie stated, looking at him with narrow eyes. “You can avoid many things, but I doubt you can avoid our weapons,”  
On the other side. It was a straight tunnel connected to two horizontal tunnels.  
“Bernadetta!” Mercedes exclaimed, healing her wound.  
“Th-thanks,” Bernadetta responded, taking a deep breath. “We need to get away from them, Narcyz especially, and find Dorothea,”  
“Right,” Mercedes responded, giving a nod.  
Hearing the sounds of footsteps rushing through the tunnel they came from, Bernadetta pulled out her steel bow and turned towards it. She fired an arrow directly at Narcyz, who responded by countering it just before it hit him in the chest.  
Bernadetta jumped to her left, Mercedes in toe, her bow at the ready. Narcyz appeared from the tunnel, just before Mercedes attacked with Sagittae.  
Narcyz leapt back avoiding the attack, only for one of Bernadetta’s arrows to come straight towards him. He barely dodged it, as it left a scratch across his right cheek.  
Narcyz knew if he continued to charge them, he’d simply be forced into a cycle of going back and forth without getting closer. He ran the other way, taking a right turn passed two soldiers rounding the same corner from the other way.  
Two sets of soldiers surrounded Bernadetta and Mercedes from both ends, their muskets at the ready. Bernadetta and Mercedes stopped in their tracks, the only other path was the one they came from, where Lucie likely was ready for them.  
Even if they could get through Lucie, they’d still have to get to her first, and they weren’t in position for a surprise attack. Mercedes noticed something off about the nearest wall.  
She grabbed Bernadetta’s short spear, and slammed it into the wall, opening up a small room similar to the one she and Lucie spoke in not too long ago. She pulled both of them inside to use as cover.  
“She really does have good eyes,” Lucie commented, stepping towards the end of the tunnel between both of the other ends, her pistol at the ready.  
She pointed her pistol towards them. They were trapped, guns pointed towards them, ready to fire whenever they so much as moved.  
The water remained still.  
“If the both of you surrender, we can negotiate to let you leave the underground unharmed!” Lucie called out, her pistol at the ready, her eyes narrowed, her other hand behind her back. “Throw your weapons aside, and come out with your hands behind your head, and we’ll take that as your surrender!”  
Mercedes glanced out, prompting Lucie and one of the two pairs to fire. After she ducked back in to dodge, she ducked back out, and fired Sagittae at Lucie.  
Lucie ducked behind the wall, while the other member of each pair fired. Bernadetta quickly appeared and shot an arrow at the member of the pair to their front that hadn’t fired, taking them out. She ducked back behind cover to avoid gunfire.  
Small pieces of the walls dropped into the water.  
They repeated, taking out the other soldier in the front. Immediately afterwards, the two of them rushed out, skipping backwards, Bernadetta firing back at them, forcing the three of them into cover long enough for the two of them to get more distance.  
As soon as they reached the opening, another tunnel with paths moving left to right, Narcyz jumped out, the water erupting into the air with his movements. His rapier rushed through drops of water, impaling Bernadetta right through the heart.  
Time froze.  
Bernadetta coughed up blood. She grabbed onto Narcyz’s arm, holding him in place in those few seconds.  
When time resumed, Narcyz’s eyes widened. He was able to quickly get himself free by breaking Bernadetta’s wrist, but it was too late.  
Mercedes, tears suddenly in her eyes, reached around Bernadetta, and hit Narcyz point blank with Nosferatu, sending him sprawling backwards. Hearing the sounds of the others chasing after them, they ran passed Narcyz, Mercedes holding Bernadetta in her arms.  
“Please be okay! Please be okay!” she kept repeating, casting Heal on her repeatedly, as well as giving her a concoction to drink.  
As they disappeared, Narcyz stumbled to his feet, drinking a concoction himself, his hand on his free eye. Lucie appeared next to him.  
“Are you in good health?” She asked, handing him another concoction.  
“Lady Galatea’s party is full of dangerous women,” he commented, placing an eyepatch over the eye he had been covering.  
“Fodlan is full of dangerous women Prince Narcyz,” Lucie added. “You should report to the medical center, they can make sure those burns don’t scar, and that you might be able to see out of that other eye,”  
“Right,” Narcyz sighed, annoyance on his face.  
“Worry not,” She stated. “I have sent a message out, my soldiers will be on high alert for them,”

To Be Continued………

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter will be February 27th, I will be switching to a monthly format with longer chapters
> 
> my plan is to release a chapter every 4th Saturday of the each month


End file.
